A Mona Lisa Smile
by xoglowergrinox123
Summary: Harry Potter's twin, Alice is sick of the war. So she goes to live with her distant cousin Trixie Belden, but Trixie becomes a bit too nosy when it comes to Alice's past. Completely AU, so beware. Creepy/disturbing,rating is on the line, but still rated T
1. Chapter 1

I'm usually not an AU kind of person. I'm more of a person who likes to stick to the main story line of a book or series, but this idea just won't leave me alone. This has a complete different plot line than Harry Potter and is set in the timeframe where the Bob-Whites are about to finish their senior year in high school.

Summery: Alice Potter is sick of the war. Her brother, Harry, disappeared a few months ago and no one knows where he is. The wizarding world is practically in ruins, and all Alice wants is some peace and quiet, a place to get away from the screams, torture, and blood. So why not go to the place farthest from Voldemort and the Death Eaters as possible? Why not visit her distant aunt in Sleepy-Side, New York whose daughter is the famous local sleuth called Trixie Belden?

So this has been a thought of mine for a while and I'd be surprised if anyone does end up reading it. But if you do, please review. I want to know what my readers think.

Don't be disappointed if this story isn't finished right away. I'm taking my time with this one, and it might take me a few months, or possibly years, to actually complete it. So relax, enjoy, and be VERY patient. So here's my little AU story.

* * *

Chapter 1

_The battle raged on. I refused to let the tears fall as one of my friends dropped to the ground like a sack. All I had to see was the spiky, pink hair to know it was Tonks. It shattered my heart to see Remus's face as he saw his wife fall lifelessly at his feet. She used her body as a shield, taking that jet of green light for the one who stole her heart. He just stood there frozen, refusing to believe she was gone. And a quick moment later a second jet of green light hit him square in the chest. Choking back a scream I sent all the dark curses I knew at every moving thing in sight. _

_ All I knew was blind rage and despair in the pit of my stomach. I let my magic out of control. The last people who actually cared about me: the people who actually gave a damn about whether I survived this Godforsaken war or not, were gone. _

I thought back as a cold shiver rushed through me. That's the reason I was moving as far away from that nightmarish place as possible. I mailed my aunt a few weeks ago, right after we came back from that ambush. After seeing the two people who were like parents to me die right in front of me, I just broke. I needed peace and rest, but most of all, I just wanted to forget. So I wrote to my aunt asking if I could stay with her for a time.

I packed my things as soon as possible, and once I had an answer from my aunt I left. I decided to travel by plane. I was giving up on magic. I didn't want anything to remind me of England.

I knew everyone was going to be upset with me, so I didn't even bother to say goodbye. All I left was a note telling them that I was done. I didn't want a part of that pointless war anymore. Harry deserted us weeks ago and there was no way we were winning without him, so why should I even try?

My spirit was shattered. I wanted to take the strongest Dreamless Sleep potion and doze until the end of forever. I couldn't wait until we landed in New York. That was when I could officially leave my past behind me and look into a bright future.

* * *

When we landed, I hopped up and practically ran off the damned plane. _Never again. What the bloody hell was I thinking?_ With both of my feet on sturdy ground I gave a sigh of relief.

Looking around the airport, I noticed it was fairly small. It could barely fit a hundred people.

"Alice! Over here, dear!" I heard a voice shout.

I turned. A blonde-haired woman in her mid-forties stood not fifty feet away from me, with a brilliant smile plastered on her face. Happiness filled my chest like a balloon. I just had to smile. The muscles in my face cramped a bit. I couldn't remember the last time I smiled that big. "Aunt Helen!"

I dropped my bags and ran into the safe embrace of her arms.

"Alice! It's been ages since we've seen you! Look at how much you've grown!" she said. I could practically hear her beaming smile in those words. Behind me a familiar voice rang out.

"Fine, I'll just wait by the car. Apparently, I'm not wanted here."

I turned around and was looking into the still handsome face of my uncle. He still had his full head of shiny black hair and that thin mustache that stretched across his lip. His only signs of aging were the crinkles around his dark eyes.

"Uncle Peter!" Then, suddenly, my heart froze. _Peter…_ Unwanted images filled my vision.

_A rat-like man was laughing maniacally. A red-haired girl lay sprawled in front of him. Blood pooling the floor. His hand shining like silver in the moonlight… _

My throat began to close up. Angrily, I brushed those thoughts aside. _That life no longer exists for me_. This was my Uncle Peter; the most lovable guy I knew. He loved a good joke, and would die to keep his family happy and alive. _Unlike that filthy rat…_

I shook my head to get rid of any unpleasant memories.

After that moment's hesitation, I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around his middle.

He either didn't notice the hesitation, or he thankfully chose to ignore it. He said, "You've grown up a bit, kiddo! Where'd that little shrimp go off to? I don't think those old sleepover clothes are going to fit you anymore!"

I chuckled. "I hit a growth spurt. So don't worry, Uncle Peter. I've brought some custom-made clothes that fit my height," I joked.

Ironically, I was still a bit on the short side. That's one of the reasons why I loved the guy. He knew how to joke about a person, yet make it sound like a genuine compliment.

He gave a laugh, putting a comforting hand around my shoulders. "Well, at least I know I don't have to pay for new clothes!"

I gave a crooked smile. In actuality, I did need some new clothes. Practically everything I had I left back in England. I didn't think it was appropriate to bring blood-soaked clothes over to a family that had never even seen a gory movie. But I wasn't going to ruin a perfectly good welcome with serious discussions just yet.

"Well, come on let's go! I want to see the rest of the family, too! You guys can't hog me forever," I said walking back to grab my things.

Chuckling quietly, Uncle Peter came and took my things from me and led us out of the airport.

As we walked, Aunt Helen was beside me telling me everything that's happened since I last came to visit them. "It's been so long since we've seen you! As a matter of fact, you haven't even met Bobby yet!"

Completely clueless, I asked, "Who's Bobby?"

Aunt Helen smiled secretively. "Well, let's just say we gained a new member of the family since you've been away."

"I have a new cousin?" I grinned. _At least there's still some good miracles left in the world…_

She replied with an even bigger smile. "Yes. He's only seven, but he can get into all sorts of mischief. Not as much as you and Trixie did, but he can still be a handful at times. Speaking of mischievousness, the children have been in enough of it already! I swear the amounts of mysteries these children get into, turns my hair grey!"

"Mysteries?" I asked, confused.

Uncle Peter answered over his shoulder. "Brian, Mart, and Trixie formed this new club called the Bob-Whites. They're known for solving mysteries around Sleepyside. Wherever they go they end up catching a robber or killer, someway or another."

_Killers? My cousins _chase_ killers? Are they stupid? _My stomach dropped, and my face turned pale.

Something flickered across Aunt Helen's face, but I couldn't place what it was. She spoke hurriedly. "Don't fret, Alice. They are perfectly fine. Thank the Lord, no one's gotten seriously hurt. I've asked them repeatedly to stop putting themselves in dangerous situations, but you know how they listen to their parents. If I ask them to do it for you, I'm sure they'd listen in a heartbeat.

"You can have so much fun in Sleepyside. There's so much to do. Our neighbors give the children horseback riding lessons, there are the woods that the children love walking through, why, you could even go shopping with me sometime! Believe me, dear. You'll have some much needed rest here."

I colored up a bit as she spoke. Aunt Helen had the kind of voice that just soothed your anxiety. That's one of the reasons I loved her. She could make you calm and safe within a few seconds.

I smiled, throwing her a grateful look.

When we got to the car in the parking garage, Uncle Peter put my bags in the trunk as me and Aunt Helen climbed in.

When the engine started, I spoke. "I can't believe you guys had the same junky car all these years!"

"Hey! This darling's a classic! 1980s Mercedes. This old girl's had a good twenty years on her, and she's got another twenty coming at her!" Uncle Peter said patting the dashboard.

Raising my eyebrows I glanced at Aunt Helen in the mirror.

She turned around and spoke quietly, but loud enough for Uncle Peter to hear. "He's obsessed with the car. It's his pride and joy. I've been wanting to get a more reliable vehicle, but every time I mention it he goes into this huge rant. Now I usually keep my mouth closed."

"I heard that," Uncle Peter said, glaring at us through the driver's mirror.

We laughed.

The rest of the ride there, they filled me in on what I missed with the family.

Brian, the oldest, had grown up and looks like a splitting image of his father. He was planning on going to college in the fall for a medical degree. I vaguely remember when he decided to be a doctor. I scraped my knee when Trixie and I were playing in the fields. No one was around to help, so Brian wrapped it up for me. He said he liked how he felt after he made me feel better and that he wanted to be able to do that for the rest of his life.

Mart apparently had grown in his vocabulary. I remember he used to get annoyed when me and Trixie made fun of him. Now, as Uncle Peter told me, he annoys the hell out of everyone else.

That made me laugh.

Trixie is just the same old Trixie. The loud, lazy, mischievous girl I always knew and loved. I couldn't wait to see her.

"She wants to be a detective when she grows up. You'd never get bored with a job like that, I'd say," Uncle Peter said.

"If she grows up to be a detective, I'll have a heart attack by the time I reach fifty." Apparently, Aunt Helen hated Trixie's sneaking around and causing trouble. She hated hearing her children's stories about the dangerous situations they constantly found themselves in. I made a mental note to never tell her about anything that happened to me in England.

Bobby was only seven, but as Aunt Helen said before. He gained Trixie's mischievous streak. He acted like most seven year olds though; complained often, selfish, whined, but his heart was in the right place.

The Bob-Whites were a group made up of seven kids, including Mart, Brian, and Trixie. Aunt Helen and Uncle Peter said they were great kids, and that they practically thought of them as their own. Each had their own reason for joining the group, and none of them looked back since.

"Once you meet them, you'll know what we mean. They're all great kids," Uncle Peter said.

"I believe you. I can't wait to meet everybody."

Uncle Peter smiled in the mirror. "You'll see them soon enough. We're almost there."

Five minutes later we pulled up to Crabapple Farm. It was dusk, but I could still see the place clearly through the shadows. The place looked exactly the same. The tiny house reminded me of the Burrow. Not at all fancy, but warm and homey. Excited, I stepped out as soon as the car stopped and breathed in the country-side air. It smelled of fresh-cut grass and the faint, yet sweet smell of apples. I remembered climbing in the trees surrounding the house with Trixie, chucking crabapples at Mart and Brian whenever they walked by. I smiled a bit at the memory.

"Alice, are you coming?" Aunt Helen called.

Blinking, I looked around. Aunt Helen and Uncle Peter were already heading into the house with my bag in hand. I quickly slammed the car door shut and ran up the driveway.

"I wonder where everyone is. Usually, they make such a ruckus a person can barely hear themselves think," Aunt Helen said.

Uncle Peter opened the door for us. "They're probably down at the Wheeler's," he reassured her. Turning to me he explained, "The Wheeler's two kids are members of the Bob-Whites. They live in the old mansion on the hill. I remember spending half of my life chasing you and Trixie away from that place."

"Well, in my defense, Trixie was the one who wanted to break in using a rock to the window," I defended.

"Yeah, I figured that out after you two came back one time with some glass in the gash on Trixie's knee," Uncle Peter said, raising an eyebrow.

Even though it was a bit childish, I stuck my tongue out anyway as I walked through the door. I turned into a dark house. I've gotten used to dark and scary places. But suddenly, a shiver, like cold ice, ran down my spine. The hair on my neck stood on end. An uneasy feeling burned in the pit of my stomach.

Someone was watching us.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Harry Potter or Trixie Belden. I have to say that Alice is all mine, though.

Yay! Chapter 2 is up! I'm looking for a beta reader for this story. If anyone is interested, please don't be afraid to email me!

I hoped you like the story so far. If anyone has actually read it, please review for me! This chapter may be a bit disturbing, so people in younger audiences should "proceed with caution".

* * *

Chapter 2

I walked in cautiously. Aunt Helen and Uncle Peter were talking behind me, not noticing my unease. Aunt Helen said no one was home, so why did it feel like someone was gazing around a corner? I've learned long ago to trust my instincts. _I just wish I didn't have to rely on them here._

Suddenly the lights turned on. Someone leapt in front of me. Impulsively, I grabbed them by the shoulders and hurled the person into the wall. I stayed on my toes, not knowing if they were going to attack again.

"SURPRISE!" I heard shouted from the living room.

Stunned, I spun around and saw a whole group of people. The cheers quieted when they saw the scene. I briefly glanced at what I thought was an attacker.

He looked up at me with stunned expression on his face. "So this is what I get for doing something amiable? Well, that's the last time I throw a surprise party!"

Forcing my nerves to calm down, I relaxed my stance. Putting on a concerned face, I apologized. "Mart, I'm sorry! You scared me. You don't usually jump out of the dark at people, do you?"

He got up rubbing the back of his head. "Only at surprise parties," he stated.

I had to grin. It was so long since I've seen the king of sarcasm. I opened my mouth to speak, when someone yelled from the crowd.

"Alice!" I heard a voice behind me.

As soon as I turned around I was tackled into the wall.

"I've missed you so much! When Moms said that you were visiting, I was so excited! I set up your bed up in my room. We'll be roomies again! It'll be just like old times. I can't wait to tell you everything that's happened! You won't believe half of it!"

All I saw was a glimpse of blonde, sandy curls. She held me tight, practically cutting off my air supply.

"Trixie, dear, you're choking her to death," Aunt Helen said, with a hint of a smile on her aging face.

Almost immediately the pressure released and I could breathe again.

"Oh! Alice, I'm sorry!"

I laughed, although a bit chokingly. "It's alright, Trix. I missed you, too."

"You'll just have to excuse our dear Trixie, she has turned into a rather more energetic young lady since we last saw you," a tall dark-haired man said. I gasped partly in shock, and partly because I was still trying to catch my breath. Aunt Helen was right; Brian looked _exactly_ like his father. _He actually grew into his clumsy, gangly limbs. Congrats, Brian!_ I thought, and told him so.

He laughed. "It's great to see you, too, Al." I wrinkled my nose at the ghastly nickname. He always used it when he was annoyed. "We've spent all day getting this ready for you. It was icing on the cake, seeing Mart get crushed by a girl. He's been annoying the hell out of everyone all day."

"I disagree with that statement! It's not my fault no one is equivalent to my superior intellect," Mart said, puffing out his chest.

"And I think it's that _precise_ reason why you annoy the hell out of people," I laughed poking hard at his inflated chest.

He let out a puff of air and started rubbing the spot I poked at.

Aunt Helen came up behind me. "I figured everyone would be hungry by the time we got home, so I prepared everything before I left. Hopefully, _someone_ remembered to put the chicken in the oven?" She said looking pointedly at Trixie, whose eyes grew wide.

"Oh, no! Gleeps, I forgot!"

A few people groaned before Brian spoke. "I figured Trixie forgot. She was too busy chasing Bobby around with a comb. Don't worry, Moms. I took care of it. Just took it out as you guys pulled up."

Aunt Helen gave a grateful smile. "You're a dear, Brian. I'll go set the table. You three can introduce Alice to everybody. I'll call when dinner's ready," she said, then headed towards the kitchen.

As soon as she left I was surrounded by people. Trixie ended up pushing through and started to introduce me to everyone. There were the Bob-Whites that consisted of Diana Lynch, Dan Mangan, Jim Wheeler, and his sister Honey. There was a tall, rather handsome man named Regan, who turned out to be the Wheeler's groomsman. A couple, Tom and Celia, both also worked for the Wheeler's, and Miss Trask. An elderly man, Mr. Maypenny was sitting on the sofa. He worked off in the woods for the Wheeler state.

Putting on a smile, I said, "Sorry, but I'll probably have a little trouble with all these names."

"Don't worry about it. We'll help you out," Trixie said excitedly.

I opened my mouth to talk when I felt someone pull on my leg. I looked down and saw a curly sandy-haired boy. He definitely would grow up to look just like Mart and Trixie, both of which were practically twins already.

I squatted down and pretended to scrutinize his small stature. "You must be Bobby."

"That's me. Trixie says that you're our cousin," he said, trying to imitate my expression. On him it looked like he was just scrunching up his face.

I just had to break out into a smile. The kid was absolutely adorable. "Yup, that's me. I've heard you can be a bit mischievous, kid. Has Trixie been telling you our secrets?"

He gave me a confused look, with his wide blue eyes. "Secrets? Really?! Can you tell me one now? Please?" he asked excitedly.

"The secret to being a great prankster is to take it easy. You have to keep a low profile. Charm people. Make them trust you. The secret is to catch people when they least expect it and so that they won't ever suspect you."

"Ohhhh," he said, like a kid who just found out he could eat ten cookies before supper.

"I won't tell you anything else until you can prove you can master in the art of obscurity," I said secretively, even though the entire room was looking on.

Bobby's face twisted up in confusion. "What's obskoority?"

"Obscurity means sneakiness," I explained in words I hoped he understood.

"Ohhhh!" he said with the expression of just finding out who Santa Claus was.

I just had to chuckle. I looked at everyone else. They all looked like they were trying hard not to laugh, and spoil it for the kid.

"At least you've met Bobby," Mart said.

"We don't need another corrupt child on our hands, Alice," Uncle Peter said with a mock glare.

"Corrupt? As of now he's a prankster in training. He'll be the only one around here to get a decent laugh in this corny-joke household!" I exclaimed jokingly. _I might be a bit rusty though. I haven't played a good prank in years…_

I remembered the various times McGonagall would chase me away from the kitchens, and the many midnight exertions into the Slytherin dormitories… _Stop it! That's in the past. That world doesn't exist anymore._

Thankfully, a call from the kitchen disrupted my thoughts. There was an immediate stampede to the table. As a matter of fact, it was quite comical to watch. It seemed like everyone was just one enormous family. People were fighting with each other who would sit next to who. The three red-heads were literally wrestling with each other to claim the seat at the end of the table.

_Why does it remind me of the Burrow?_ I thought cynically, with a heavy heart. _Everyone's just so outrageous, just like the Weasleys. Why can't I just forget about them?_

I waited for everyone to settle down, and took up one of the empty seats, in between Mart and the red-headed boy, whose name I couldn't remember.

As soon as Aunt Helen sat down and started filling up her plate, everyone began to dig in. Talking and laughter filled the air, as everyone began to take in their fill.

The table was covered with every kind of food imaginable. Chicken, mashed potatoes, baked beans and squash, cranberry sauce, meatloaf, sweet potatoes, fish, freshly made rolls, and every kind of side dish I could think of. I only filled my plate up a bit. My stomach learned to digest just the minimum to keep me going. We really didn't have the time to eat at home; we were too busy trying to avoid getting captured or killed. _It's not your home anymore, so quit thinking about it!_ I was really beginning to get annoyed with myself.

Unfortunately, Aunt Helen noticed me just picking at my food. "Alice, help yourself to some more. You're far too skinny, dear. We need to put some more meat on those bones."

I looked up, and noticed everyone staring at me. Most of them were stuffing their faces. I would have laughed if I didn't feel so down. To be honest, I felt a bit cheap. I wasn't being respectful by eating my portion of this miraculous dinner, but I just couldn't eat another bite. I tried sweet-talking my way out of it. "I'm sorry, Aunt Helen. You're food is just too good. It sticks to my sides after a couple of bites!"

She placed some more string beans on her plate saying, "Nonsense, dear. Jim, could you put some more chicken on her plate? Honestly, Alice. Do you really expect to get away with not eating anything? We made this dinner for you!"

I gave a crooked smile. She reminded me so much of Mrs. Weasley. The woman always filled your plate with seconds and thirds before you even finished your first serving. _Mrs. Weasley…_

_Flashback_

_The flames were eating away at the Burrow. I could hear screaming coming from inside. We ran around the house in search of an opening, but what we saw stopped us in our tracks. Hanging from the tree in the garden were two bodies. Their expressions were blank. The faces were almost unrecognizable. Their mouths seemed to have been carved with a knife into the shape of a smile. I could see various gashes all over their bodies, and their clothes were drenched in their own blood. I heard screaming, and felt raindrops fall down my face. Then it dawned on me that the scream was my own, and the raindrops on my face were my own hot tears._

_ People were yelling instructions to each other but my mind was completely blank. I knew there was someone still inside, but I couldn't think straight. Two of the sweetest people in the world were hanging from the tree; beaten and tortured like animals, and left to die by a noose. How could anyone do a thing like this? How could someone be so incredibly cold and heartless? I knew the answer, but I couldn't believe how much of a monster he actually was._

_ Someone grasped my shoulders and shook me. _

_ "Alice! Snap out of it! Ginny's inside! We need to get her out!" I didn't answer. I couldn't. "Alice! We need your help!" a voice far away said._

Ginny…

_ I slowly began to be aware of my surroundings. I shook my head and turned to Ron. His face was panicked and his eyes were bloodshot red. Just as the awareness of the situation began to dawn on me, an explosion blasted us off our feet. My ears were ringing and my eyesight became unfocused._

_ I was trapped in a world of darkness. It was like living in my own mind. Like floating in a vast emptiness. Nothing could hurt me. Nothing mattered. Peace. Silence. I just wanted to sleep forever._

_All too soon, my vision cleared. Fire was everywhere. Everyone was scattered. Some lay still, not moving. Others were trying to fight the dizziness just as I was. I saw Harry making his way to the house like a drunken man. He was yelling. Soundless words poured out from his mouth. _

_ I looked to my right and saw Ron lying in the charred grass. I crawled over woozily. _

_ I began muttering words I couldn't hear. "Ron, get up. We have to get your sister."_

_ I turned him over. Glassy green eyes stared into my own. My heart broke._

"_NO!"_

_ Images, like an old film, flashed before my eyes. Ron laughing. Ron wrestling with his brothers. Ron beating Harry at chess. Ron winning the Quidditch Cup. Ron standing beside Hermione, Harry, and I. Us sitting under the tree by the lake. Us laughing at nothing at all…_

_ "RON!" _

_ My hearing returned, but all I noticed were Harry's frantic screams over the laughter of the crackling fire, and Ron's lifeless body in my arms. The bodies of his parents were swinging in the breeze, taunting me with their permanently carved smiles._

I snapped out of it. My stomach began to turn.

Shaking, I pushed back my chair. "Um, could you excuse me for a minute? Ok, thanks," I said hastily and made a mad rush to the bathroom. As soon as I reached the toilet, I threw up everything I had. The sight of blood filled my vision, and all I could breathe in was smoke. I choked and bent over the toilet bowl once more.

I heard footsteps coming this way. Hurriedly I slammed the door shut and locked it.

* * *

**AN! Okay so I've noticed that I put Tom and Miss Trask together, instead of Tom and Celia. Stupid! I know, I always mix up Miss Trask and Celia. I don't know why, but I do. So I reposted this chapter because it would have annoyed me constantly if I didn't do it. Sorry!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So I haven't updated in a while, but my only excuse is that I said this story is going to take a while for me to write. But anyways here's the third chappy! Hope you enjoy! **

I needed to be alone. I couldn't take it anymore; there were just too many similarities, too many faces. Remus, Tonks, Ron, Molly, Arthur, Ginny, Fred, Neville, Luna, Sirius…the list just kept going on and on, a never ending stream of lifeless bodies. I heard someone knocking on the door and calling my name. Didn't they understand I locked it for a reason? I couldn't always be strong; there was a point where I just…broke. I leaned against the door and cried. There was nothing but an empty hole where my heart used to be, everything was just a façade. I didn't mean all of the smiles and laughs, it was all a damn act. I stupidly believed that once I moved here everything would just melt away, I could just slide back into my old life like an old pair of shoes, but I found out I was a completely different person than I used to be. I wasn't as innocent as Trixie and the rest of the Beldens were. Sure, they might have caught a few bad guys, but they never actually saw the killers in the act…_They never lost someone they_ _loved._

"Alice, are you okay?" a voice behind the door asked. I didn't answer, all I did was let the tears fall, refusing to let a cry pass my lips. I didn't want anyone to think anything was wrong.

I heard Mart's teasing voice. "Alice, do you need some medicine? I didn't know the rolls Trixie made were poisonous…honest—Brian, do I look pale to you?"

"Shut up, Mart. Trixie, let me at the door ...Alice? Are you in there?"

I heard a snort. "Well, obviously…"

"Alice, we're worried. Can you just tell us if you're all right? ….Alice?"

"Just go away." My voice came out a bit shakier than I intended,.

"Alice, what's wrong?" I heard Trixie ask, a string of worry in her voice.

I didn't want to talk to them; they just needed to leave me the hell alone. "I don't want to talk to a curious little eavesdropper who loves getting up everybody else's business. I'd like to have a bit of personal time. Is that alright with you?" After that, there was silence. Light footsteps trailed away from the door, and I let out a frustrated sigh, pulling a hand through my hair. It killed me to be rude to them, the people who actually _cared_, but I couldn't share with them anything that I wanted to. _Why did I even come here in the first place? I can't even _talk_ to anyone. Aunt Helen barely knows what I've been through…_

When I wrote to her about her brother's death, she was distraught. She hadn't been in much contact with Remus since she moved to America, but they were awfully close when they were young. As long as I lived with him, he made it our duty to visit Aunt Helen and Uncle Peter often over the summers. Although she was a squib, Remus told her most things about the wizarding world, she just didn't know how horrible things had become.

I just sat there on the small bathroom floor, for how long, I didn't know. I heard people moving around in the dining room, but the sound grew fainter and eventually died altogether. Aunt Helen came to the door asking if I was alright, but I didn't say anything. She walked away after a few moments, and I continued to sit there looking out the window at the clear night sky.

* * *

It had to be past midnight. I waited until everyone was asleep before I stood up, my muscles protested against the movement causing me to groan. I rubbed my eyes and stretched. I was so tired. The house was silent except for the sound of wind rattling a window. I yawned and noticed my face was stiff due to dried tears. Turning on the light I went over to the sink. _Whoa. Well…I look like shit._ After grimacing at my reflection I washed my face, scrubbing off the salty water, and sighed. I looked so...so…_old._

I stared at myself. I was beginning to have age lines around my mouth and eyes. I was seventeen, and I looked like I could pass for a person in their late twenties. My black hair was cut short. It was a nuisance to keep tidy in the war, and since we didn't have any mirrors, I thought I wouldn't have to worry about it if I didn't have it…I guess I could grow it back out again. Scars were scattered over my face, but I could cover those up easily enough. I had deeper ones over my torso that weren't as easy to hide, even with magic, so eventually I grew more fond of jeans and turtlenecks.

_Whatever, I guess I'll just be accustomed to being ugly and deformed for the rest of my life_.

My eyes were still puffy from crying, and my eyelids began to droop. I didn't fancy the idea of going upstairs chancing the risk of waking anyone up, so quietly I opened the bathroom door, wincing when it creaked. If I remembered correctly there would be some extra blankets and pillows in the front closet. I grabbed one of each and made a place for myself on the couch. It squeaked a bit as I tried to get myself comfortable. I froze, listening intently to the darkness hoping I didn't wake anyone up. Once I was at ease I took my wand out of my pocket. I knew I swore I was going to give up magic for good, but I needed a silencing charm. I didn't want the entire neighborhood rushing over thinking I was getting murdered. I cast the nonverbal spell on myself, replaced my wand, and once again I entered my realm of nightmares.

* * *

I woke up falling on the floor. I sat upright with a jolt, shaking and drenched in a layer of cold sweat. Where was I? This wasn't my room. As a matter of fact, this wasn't even Headquarters. I jumped up taking my wand out narrowing my eyes at the shadows made by the morning dawn. I flinched as a rooster crowed in the distance. I gave a quick glance around, and slowly my guard began to drop, the memories of arriving at my Aunt's came flooding back to me. _Oh, that's right. You locked yourself in the bathroom like a first year Hufflepuff,_ I mentally began kicking myself. I was afraid of my _memories_.

Disgusted with myself, I stretched and looked at the clock. Great, only six hours of sleep. Hell, it was the most I've slept in the past couple of months. I walked on over to the kitchen and frowned at the clean table. My cousins invited a group of people over here yesterday and I completely blew them off because I had a hiss fit. I decided to make it up to them, hoping I could be forgiven over a hearty breakfast.

I looked through the cupboards and shuffled through the fridge looking for anything that I could use for pancakes, waffles, sausages, fruits, and anything else that had to do with breakfast. I mixed flour, milk, and eggs in a big bowl and multitasked by flipping a few sausages in a pan. Subconsciously, I began to sing the Hogwarts School Song. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs as I poured some orange juice into a pitcher, and turned to place it on the table when something red and furry shot in front of me causing me to shout. I fell hard, the pitcher flying. I sat on the floor shell-shocked, with a pitcher of orange juice covering me from head to toe. The red, furry thing came bounding on over to me wagging its tail and began licking my face.

"What the hell? Get _off_ of me, you stingy mutt!"

I heard a roar of laughter from the doorway. I looked on over and saw Trixie holding her sides, doubling over.

I glared. That's what I get for trying to do something nice for a change? "Yeah. Hardy, har, har."

Tying to stand upright was posing a slight problem for her. "I'm sorry, but that was just too funny! I wake up at six-thirty in the morning hearing clanking pans and the stupidest song I ever heard, and I come down to see _this_. It's just too much!" She broke into another round of laughter.

I got up shooting her death glares. _She _wasn't the one drenched with sticky orange juice. "Whatever," I muttered getting up to grab some paper-towels. The dog continued to frantically clean up the floor, as if it would disappear in a few seconds.

Hearing the commotion coming from downstairs the rest of the family came barreling down the steps.

Aunt Helen looked absolutely bewildered. "What's going on?"

I bit my lip. Every time I even _try_ to do something nice for someone, it always winds up going horribly wrong. _Go figure…_ "I'm sorry Aunt Helen. It's my fault. I kind of felt bad about last night, so I thought I could treat you all to some breakfast. You all were being so nice trying to make me feel at home, but I was a total a— jerk," I stopped when I saw Bobby come into the room.

"Wha's goin' on?" he asked tiredly.

Uncle Peter bent down to pick the little boy up. "You didn't have to do that, Alice."

"I know, but I felt like it. Weird, because I usually suck at cooking. At least I didn't burn anything this time." As soon as I said that, I smelled smoke. "Crap!" I rushed over to the stove to check the sausages. They were nothing but black stubs, so I went and tossed them in the sink and rinsed the pan.

"Hmm, well that looks enticing," Mart said as he sat at the table. "I love the smell of burnt sausages at six-thirty in the morning over summer break— Hey!" A flicker of a smile graced my face as Brian slapped him upside the head.

Aunt Helen came over to me. "It's alright, Alice. Why don't you leave the cooking to me? That way everyone can enjoy breakfast? You can go upstairs and take a shower. I have to say, you smell rather pleasant in the morning…like oranges."

I glared at her, and marched out of the kitchen. I knew she was joking, but I hated being teased all the time. I went upstairs to Trixie's room, which I was surprised looked exactly the same, and took out a pair of jeans and a white turtleneck from my bag. I went to the bathroom and took a quick five minute shower. When I finished I placed a few twenty-four hour charms on my face to cover my scars and was about to perform a quick drying spell on my hair, when I remembered that muggles used hairdryers. It took me a few minutes for me to get used to the feeling again, but I got the hang of the thing. I placed a hair styling charm to straighten out the frizz, then tossed my dirty clothes in the hamper. By the time I left the bathroom I smelled the scent of cooking pancakes and new sausages filling up the hallway.

I entered the kitchen and found the family sitting at the table. It was a perfect family portrait; Uncle Peter was sipping his coffee and reading the paper, Bobby was tugging on Aunt Helen's night gown as she cooked, and the other three were speaking quietly at the table. As soon as they saw me walk in Brian and Mart bolted out of their seats, racing out of the kitchen and started wrestling up the stairs for dibs on the shower. I sat down across from Trixie, struggled to think of something to say when the Belden's dog came up to me wagging its tail happily.

I looked down grimly. "What do you want?" It's tail wagged faster. Apparently, talking to it just made it happier, so I settled for a scowl.

"Not a dog person, huh?" Trixie asked with a smile on her face.

"Usually I am. I just don't like the ones that purposely get in my way for their own amusement," I said pouring myself a cup of coffee. _Just like another mutt I know…_

She chuckled. "Reddy doesn't mean to, he's just…a bit untamed," she said trying to find the right word.

I glanced down and gave the dog a glare. I decided it would be easier to just ignore it, so I went back to sipping my coffee. I noticed Trixie studying me. "What?"

"Nothing," she said quickly.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her. "What's so amusing?"

"Nothing, I'm just trying to figure you out. You just seem more…distant, since the last time we saw you."

This was exactly the kind of conversation that I wanted to avoid. "There's nothing to figure out, people can change a lot in seven years."

"Yeah, but you're just – what happened to you, Alice?" her eyes wide with curiosity. She knew something was up.

_Damn her and her detective eye._ I looked up at Uncle Peter and Aunt Helen. They appeared to be engrossed with what they were doing, but I could see them leaning toward the conversation. I had no doubt that Mart and Brian were eavesdropping from the stairs, for their ruckus suddenly stopped. I heaved a sigh. "Trix, listen. What happened to me, it's – it's hard to talk about –I lost a few people over in England, and there are just too many memories over there. I came here to forget –" I said my mind wandering off into the dark part of my memories. I let out a long breath, completely worn. "I'm just finding out that it's much easier said than done."

Trixie's eyes filled with sympathy and a flare of annoyance shot through me. "Don't."

Her sympathy turned into utter confusion. "What?"

"The pityand the sympathy. I don't want it. I'm not helpless, so don't treat me like glass."

"Alice , losing someone you care about is hard, I know –"

Uncle Peter cut in, "Now, Trixie –"

I interrupted him by slamming my cup on the table. I looked pointedly at Trixie. "No, you _don't_. That's the problem. You _don't _know what it's like to lose someone you love. You _don't _know how it feels to know that you'll never see that person again. You _don't_ know how it feels to be scared – to be _terrified_. To be running for your _life_ –" I stopped quickly fearing I said too much. I could feel my face turning red with fury and irritation. I needed someplace to cool down, so I got up and stalked out the backdoor, shutting it with a slam.

I fumed, stomping through the fields and into the woods. I knew I had an anger issue, but I couldn't help that, blame genetics. I walked angrily through the wooded area, kicking at anything in sight, arguing with myself.

_What did she know?_ _Nothing. She'll never understand._

She's just trying to make me feel better, I can't hate her for that.

_She needs to learn how to think before she talks, that's what got us in trouble all those years. She didn't know how to choose her words carefully. _

She hasn't gone through a war. How would she understand? She doesn't know anything about the wizarding world at all. Don't punish her for something she doesn't even know about in the first place.

_Then she shouldn't talk about things she doesn't know about. Would a seven year teach Dumbledore how to make a Patronus? _

So I'm mad at her because of her ignorance?

_No, I'm just frustrated with myself. She's my best friend, practically my sister, and I can't tell her anything…_

I sighed and pulled my hand through my hair, a habit I inherited from my father. I glanced around the small clearing I wandered into. _I know this place…_I gave a quick inspection and saw what I was looking for, a boulder in the shape of a 'demented chipmunk', as Trixie called it. I walked on over to it and turned right, fourteen paces in I found a tree with a rope ladder attached to it. Looking up I saw our private tree house. Well, it wasn't exactly a tree house, it was more of a platform. _The Stakeout,_ I remembered with a ghost of a smile. Trixie and I made it so we could have a place to runaway to whenever we got in trouble. It was practically made of a few floorboards glued together over a couple of branches. That weatherworn ladder had been hanging there for over eight years and most likely couldn't hold my weight. I knew it probably wasn't safe, but I tried to climb it anyway. I went up the first few rings until I was a good four feet off the ground when the ring beneath my foot snapped. I gave a cry and watched with wide eyes as I sped towards the ground.

**AN: A shout-out to ****Duckyumbrella**** and ****MJ-obsessed95**** for your reviews! I'm glad you both like the story so far :) I get so happy whenever someone posts a comment, so keep 'em comin'!**

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	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Yay! I finally updated! And it's still Christmas too! So Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! Hope you enjoy my little Christmas present! Enjoyyy:)**

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Chapter 4

The breath was knocked out of me. I struggled to fill my lungs with air as my eyesight became dizzy. I could hear the sound of hooves near to my right…or was it my left? I tried to stand up but failed utterly.

"I wouldn't try standing if I were you. I'm surprised you didn't break your neck with a fall like that. What possessed you to climb that thing?" I turned towards the somewhat familiar voice, but all I saw was vertigo. The shape of a figure and a massive gray animal were to my left…no, it was my right…maybe? The world was spinning in front of me, making me sick to my stomach.

"Sit up. Put your hands over your head and takes deep breaths. That should settle your breathing, and it should probably clear your head up a bit, too." I did as he told, and soon enough the dizziness went away and my vision began to steady. Once the vertigo faded, however, a teeth-gritting headache began to throb against my skull. I tried holding back an agonizing groan but unfortunately without success.

The boy…man…whoever it was, chuckled. I felt my face grow red, not sure if it was out of annoyance or embarrassment. "I wouldn't be surprised if you end up with a concussion. You're lucky you didn't land on your head, you could probably be dead otherwise."

I glared at where I believed he stood. Already in a horrible mood, I didn't need some wise-crack telling me how I should take care of myself and I told him so. I saw a pair of amused blue eyes, looking down at me. I know I've seen him before …Jim? Or was it Dan? Tom? _Nice going, Potter. You made an ass out of yourself…again._

He raised a brow at my outburst. "Okay then, fine. If that's the thanks I get for trying to help, I might as well leave you there next time," he said and began to walk back towards his horse.

I bit my lip in irritation. I wasn't _trying_ to be mean. "Wait!" I called trying to get up, but failed once again. A blinding pain seared across the back of my skull and spots began to blur my vision. The ground began to tip, and I flung my arms trying to grab at anything to hold steady. As soon as I found a tree I felt a hand grab my elbow.

He gave a small laugh. "You really didn't think I was going to leave you way out here, did you?"

I would have given another glare if I could open my eyes long enough through the glaring pain. I took deep breaths in my nose and out my mouth, hoping to Merlin the fuzziness would go away. Once I gained my balance I opened my eyes. The dizziness wasn't as bad, but nothing was quite in focus as I would have liked. Whatever, I've been in worse.

"You okay?"

I stood still for a moment, undecided. I took one step forward and felt like I was going to be sick. I froze, willing the bile to stay down. I had no desire to puke twice in front of company within the time span of twenty-four hours.

Apparently, he saw me sway. "I'm taking that as a no. I really don't see any other way how you can get back to Crabapple Farm…Have you ever rode a horse before?"

I made the huge mistake of shaking my head. Immediately, I turned to the side and heaved into the bushes. The boy, whatever his name was, was probably grimacing behind me. "Well you're in no shape to walk at the moment, so up you go."

I was going to shake my head again, but quickly answered with words instead of actions. "I don't do so well with…huge animals. I think I'm better off walking," I said hurriedly. There was no way in hell I was getting on that _beast_.

"Oh, come on. Spartan isn't that bad. As long as I'm holding the line he won't buck. All you have to do is sit still."

"No." There was no way I was sitting on something that could throw me over twenty feet in the air. I took another step with him still holding onto my arm. Being away from the tree, I had no other support than to grab his shoulder to keep me from tipping.

"Well, from the way I see it you've got three choices. You either stay here until someone finds you, and I doubt anyone else would way out here, or you could ride Spart."

I glanced suspiciously at him. "What's the third option?"

He gave me a charming grin. "I can carry you if you want."

I gave him a scandalized look and said, "Hell, throw me up on the damn horse." No way in bloody hell was he going to carry me back to Crabapple Farm like a helpless damsel. Thanks, but I'd like to keep my dignity.

After a couple of failed attempts at trying to swing up, I finally put my foot in the right spot and succeeded on my fourth try. Merlin, was it _high_. Sure, I've been on a broom, I practically used to live in the air, but a person can _control _a broomstick, this thing had a mind of its own, and wouldn't think twice before bucking me off. All I could do if anything went wrong, was to hold on and pray I didn't die. We walked slowly down the path. It swayed a bit too much for my taste, making me a bit nauseous. At one point I almost fell off altogether, but he quickly grabbed hold of my leg before I could tumble over the side. He didn't talk to me at all, and I was grateful for that, because I probably would have bitten his head off.

It didn't take long for us to make it back to the house. When we got to the backdoor, Trixie came running out, yelling our names. Her hair was wet, and her face was flushed. I suspected she must have just gotten out of the shower.

"Alice! Dan!

I gave a frown at her echoing shouts. _Merlin's pants, my head kills…_

He put a finger to his lips. "Don't talk so loud. She hit her head pretty hard, and I'm pretty sure she's got a concussion. Trying to climb that old, moldy platform out there wasn't such a great idea."

I looked at him fiercely.

"Old platform? Oh! You mean the Stakeout!" she said, her eyes widening, and her gaze turned to me. "Oh, Alice. We haven't been out there for centuries! That thing is like a soggy deathtrap! Why would you even think of going up there?"

It wasn't my fault…okay, maybe it was, but I couldn't help it. I don't usually think a lot of things through, and that's mainly why I seemed to be in trouble all the time. My brain didn't like working overtime. Glowering at them wasn't going to help the situation much, so I just closed my eyes, letting out a long sigh. At that moment, the rest of the family decided to grace us with their presence. Uncle Peter came from around the front with Aunt Helen following close behind and Bobby in her arms.

"Dan! Why, I didn't expect to see you here, I thought you were working today? Alice, what are you doing up there?" Aunt Helen asked her eyes bemused.

Dan scratched the back of his head, his dark curls falling into his eyes. "Well, I kind of found Alice, here, out in the woods. I was just passing by for my morning walk with Spartan when I saw her fall after climbing a rope up a tree. She slammed her head pretty hard."

Aunt Helen gasped. "Alice, are you okay?"

I winced at her sharp voice. "My head hurts like hell, and I feel sick whenever I move too fast."

She tsked. "Must be a concussion. Peter, help her down, would you? Trixie, go set out some pillows and blankets in the living room. Dan, can you phone the doctor? I just want to make sure it's nothing too serious. Honestly, Alice, you've not even been here a day, and you're already adding to my gray hair."

* * *

After the most uncomfortable hour of my life, with Dr. Ferris prodding me on every inch of bare skin I was left alone to sleep. I _hated_ healers…doctors…anyone who worked in a medical field. They all gave you nasty things to drink or too big of pills to swallow. But I was finally freed and was able to get some rest. I was about to reach for my wand I had stowed in between the cushions when I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Someone was watching me. I peered out of the corner of my eye and saw Trixie staring at me intently.

She chewed on her bottom lip and exclaimed, "Alice, I'm so sorry!"

"Trixie, don't-"

"Let me finish," she said. "You're right, I don't know what it's like to lose somebody, and I won't understand what you're going through otherwise. It's just – you smile and laugh all the time, but I can see they doesn't reach your eyes, and it hurts to see one of my best friends in pain. I want to help, but I have no idea what you've went through, so I don't know how. Every time I open my mouth it seems like what I want to say comes out all wrong and stupid. I honestly don't mean to, Alice. I'm sorry." Her face was open and reflected the guilt she felt. She was just so…so…innocent. Completely pure, and untouched by pain. Suddenly, I realized that I was jealous of her.

"Its okay, Trix. I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to snap at you, I was just really frustrated this morning. You've been my best friend since I was little and this morning it dawned on me that I can't share anything with anyone. I'm completely alone here, Trix."

Her blue eyes that normally sparkled with excitement became pitiful as I went on, and I bit my tongue. I didn't want to start another fight with her. "Whatever it is, Alice, I hope you can still find some comfort here. We're still family, and we're always here for you, Alice."

I looked at her with the same expression Sirius gave Hermione when she first called him 'Mr. Black'. I didn't quite know how to reply to her words. The last time I believed those words, I paid a price. I knew I could trust my family with anything, but depending on someone other than myself hurt me before, and I wasn't too keen on repeating the experience. I settled for a nod, not trusting my voice at the moment.

Being the observant one, she saw my uncomfortable state and gave me a wink. "I think I'll see what Moms is up to in the kitchen. You get some rest! We can't have you bedridden all vacation now, can we?"

* * *

_Blood was everywhere. I needed to get hold of him. He needed to know. I slipped on the red grass; the stench of death filled the air. I limped my way over to the grounds. Death Eaters, Order members, aurors, giants, vampires, werewolves, and even house elves were involved. Blasts of light sped in all directions. I had to get down there. I had to find Harry. Students were still inside, we needed to get them out…_

I snapped my eyes open to see Bobby's curious gaze one inch away from my face.

"You okay, Alice?"

I began to speak, but remembered I put a silencing spell on myself, so I went with a nod.

"You sure? You looked awfully scared, like you had a nightmare about the bogey man. It's okay. It was just a dream. I'll go tell Moms so she can get you some hot cocoa, it always made me feel better after I had a bad dream," he said in a ramble, and scampered off into the kitchen.

Taking the opportune moment, I quickly grabbed my wand and waved it across my throat. I stuffed it into the cushions as soon as Bobby came back in dragging Aunt Helen by the arm.

"See? She is _too_ up! She needs hot cocoa!" Bobby said stubbornly.

I smiled sadly at him. "That's okay Bobby. I feel fine."

"You sure?"

I nodded.

"Positive?"

"Alright, Bobby that's enough. Alice, you sure you don't want any? It's no problem," Aunt Helen said taking hold of Bobby by the arm.

_Well, it is free hot chocolate…_ I sighed in defeat. "Why not?"

"Alright, hold tight. I need to put Bobby down for his nap, and then I'll have your hot chocolate out in a jiffy. Come on, Bobby," Aunt Helen said, literally dragging a screaming Bobby to his room.

I sighed as I lay back down. My head still hurt, and once again breaking my promise I made to myself, I took my wand, pointing at myself and muttered, "_Rememdium._" In no time at all the splitting headache went away, and the dizziness cleared up. I sighed in contentment. There was no way I was going to be spending my week in that much pain, I'd fake the headaches for a few days to keep up appearances if I had to.

I grew bored after the first five minutes of waiting, so I clicked on the television ad the theme song to 'Green Acres' rang through the room. After about a half hour Aunt Helen came into the room carrying two steaming mugs of hot chocolate.

"I've always loved this show," she said, passing me a mug.

I gave a small smile. "I've missed watching it with the family on Saturdays." She flashed a smile in my direction. We sat in a comfortable silence for a while. I began to notice Aunt Helen giving me small looks, like she wanted to ask me something, but didn't know quite how to say it. I was scared to ask, because I had a good idea of what she had the right to know. "Go ahead," I said giving her a fake look of encouragement.

She gave me a shocked look, which gave away to guilt. Her face flushed. "I'm sorry, dear. It's nothing," she stammered turning her attention back to the T.V.

I began to squeeze my mug until I my knuckles grew white. The glass was hot, and began to burn my palms. It was a nice distraction. "If you want to know, ask now," my voice seemed a bit hollow.

She must have heard realized that she might not get another chance. After a moment's hesitation she spoke. "What happened? How did he…?" her voice began to crack.

I forced myself to show a strong face. I stayed silent for a few moments reliving that night through flashes. With a calming breath, I began to tell the story. "You know about the Order don't you?" She nodded. "And You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters?" With another nod I took a deep breath. "A few weeks ago a member from our side, was imprisoned in Riddle Manor. He was a spy for us in You-Know-Who's circle. Somehow he was found out. When You-Know-Who punishes traitors to the Dark Mark – You wouldn't be able to even comprehend what they do to people, it's…inhumane," I said with a shiver. Trying to brush away loose memories. I just needed to focus on one at the moment. "He was an important asset to our side, so we decided to get a rescue team together. There were only a few of us: me, Remus, Tonks, Angelina, and George. We were supposed to sneak into Riddle Manor, get Snape, and return to Headquarters, being careful not to draw any attention to ourselves. Our plan was precise. We'd be gone before they even knew we were there…But, before we even got close enough to set off any of the alarms, we were ambushed. It didn't make sense. How did they know we were going to be there? We realized that we were betrayed. We were hopelessly outnumbered, one to three…Tonks – she was the first to fall, taking a killing curse for Remus. I was screaming orders at the others, trying to keep their heads on straight. If we blanked out for one second…Remus…he wasn't listening. He just – he just stood there, looking at her. He didn't even see it coming. Green light hit him in the chest, and he just…" I trailed off. My throat began to close up. I pursed my lips and stared at the television screen, hoping a funny scene would be playing. I refused to cry. I already shed enough tears for them locked away in my room at Grimmauld Place.

I heard Aunt Helen give a sob, and turned to see her stifling her cries into the stained floral apron she always wore. My heart reached out to her. I went to comfort her, but as soon as I could push my blankets off she ran from the room. I heard footsteps on the stairs and a door slam shut. I knew how she felt, and I stayed put. She needed the time to deal with her grief. I was happy no one else was home to bother her; she needed some time for herself.

I heard quieted cries coming from her bedroom, and I began to fill with guilt. Did I tell her too soon? It was too much for her to handle. She didn't deserve something like this to happen. Remus and Tonks didn't deserve what happened to them either. Why did the most horrible things happen to the most wonderful people? I stared down into my mug wondering if I did the right thing. How come every time I had a conversation, someone always ended up getting hurt?

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**AN: Hope you liked the update! I'm planning on writing a lot more this week seeing as it's a vacation, so watch your alerts! :) **

**Please review! 8D**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: What is this? Did I just update? I think I did! Yup, I know, and I'm sorry for taking…seven months to write a decent chapter, but I did warn you to be patient. **

**I think I'm getting a good plot line going, so hopefully you'll begin to see it at some point. Hope you like!**

Chapter 5

I kept to myself for the next few days. Trixie and the others had kept asking me to hang out with them, but I every time I readily declined. I always gave the excuse of helping Aunt Helen with the groceries or cleaning up the house, but the truth was, I needed some time to think things over and get my head on straight.

After the conversation with Aunt Helen, I felt lousy and miserable. This vacation supposed to be good for _me_, instead I seemed to be making everyone else miserable. Aunt Helen began to walk around as if she were in a daze. Sometimes, I would catch her staring out the window like she was watching something far, far away, but I knew better. I've seen that look on a lot of faces; she was remembering – of Remus, no doubt, and that made me feel guiltier. She spared a few smiles, and she went about her work as always, but something was amiss, and everyone saw it. I could see them all exchanging worried looks behind her back.

_What was I doing here?_ I would often question myself. I wasn't doing anyone any good. _Maybe I should just go back to England where I belong…_

Bobby was always a good distraction whenever I came into one of those moods. I helped him out with his pranking ability considerably, and I had to say, the kid had some spunk in him. He had a very creative mind, and actually performed his first prank on Uncle Peter with success. Of course, he just put peanut butter in Uncle Peter's work shoes, but I applauded him nonetheless. He was only seven and needed some encouragement in his early days of pranking.

Uncle Peter wasn't so thrilled about finding the peanut butter though, and knew exactly who to blame. Me. So that day I was in the kitchen scrubbing out peanut butter with a toothbrush, feeling like I was back at school washing the trophy case.

As I worked, someone knocked at the kitchen door. I dried my hands on a towel as I went proceeded to open it. I was a little surprised to find Dan standing there, a bored expression on his face and hands in his pockets. However when he saw me, a brilliant smile occupied his features.

"Hey Alice, what's up?"

I returned the hello, and gave a shrug. "Nothing much, just scrubbing peanut butter."

His eyebrows went up a little at this, but he must have decided that it was better not to comment.

"Mrs. Belden called down asking for some firewood earlier. I brought some up with Spartan, and I'm just wondering where she wants it."

"Oh. Uh, could you hold on a second?" I turned to go find Aunt Helen, but lucky for me, she chose to enter the room right then.

"Dan! How are you?"

He gave a smile of greeting. "Hello, Mrs. Belden. I brought your firewood. Is there anywhere you want me to put it?"

"Oh, terrific! Could you be a dear and put it out back near the garage, particularly on the right? That way it will be easy for Mr. Belden to get to in the winter."

"Sure, no problem. Don't worry, I should be out of your hair in an hour or so."

"That's quite all right, take your time. And be sure to come back in when you're finished. I made some cookies this morning that I want you to take as a thank you for you and Mr. Maypenny," she said, turning to the counter.

"Don't worry, I will. See you later, Alice," he said turning to me with that flashing smile of his.

_That kid smiles an awful lot…_ "Okay, see ya."

As he turned to head back out, I turned my attention to Uncle Peter's shoes with a grimace. _Honestly, Uncle Peter has to invest in some foot medication. These smell worse than Ron's slug puke. _I addressed the one I was cleaning at the moment. _Lefty, no one should have to live with that stench of yours. And don't you worry, Righty, I'll get to you in a minute._ I paused_._ _Look at me now, Remus. I'm feeling sympathy for a shoe_. I had to laugh at myself; I was going off the deep end. Aunt Helen was a bit startled at my sudden outburst, and Dan sent me small look of concern.

Aunt Helen came over to my side. "You know what, Alice? I think you should go help Dan out with the wood. You've been cooped up in this house far too long, and besides I think your uncle's foot stench is beginning to get to your head," she said, taking to shoes away, which gave me choice but to comply. "Dan, show her what to do, will you?"

"Sure thing, Mrs. Belden. You coming, Alice?

I sighed. "Yeah I'll be there in a minute."

I fetched my Converse, and followed him out the door. I mentally sent a sorry to the shoes as I walked out. I couldn't say that I wasn't happy to get away from that miserable job; I valued the use of my nose, thank you very much.

Spartan stood in the driveway, his tail whipping about, with a wagon load of firewood behind him. I looked briefly at the pile and did a double take. It had to be at least ten square feet.

"We have to stack that _whole_ thing?" I asked disbelievingly.

Dan grinned, and took a deep breath, smelling the damp morning air. "Yup!"

I gave him a bewildered look. "That thing is huge."

He calculated the size of the pile. "I guess it depends on how you look at it."

"You said it would take at least an hour to stack the whole thing."

"So?"

"You lied."

"What do you mean?"

Was this guy crazy? "That is at least going to take a couple of hours!" I exclaimed, waving my arm towards the load.

"So? I filled the wagon up in less than an hour this morning. You'll be surprised how fast it can go," he said, and dragged Spartan over to the garage. I followed.

"Are you some beastly robot, or something?"

He walked around the wagon and unlatched the door, giving it a few tugs. "Help me out with this, will you?"

I grabbed hold of the thing, and he wasn't kidding. The thing was really stuck. I took a strong hold of the door and pulled. We were finally able to yank the thing open after a few squeaking tries.

"Okay, you don't have the strength of a beastly robot," I said. Otherwise he could have opened the latch no problem. I narrowed my gaze. "Are you a vampire?"

Caught off guard by this, he sent me an incredulous look and laughed. "Why do you ask?"

"Because the only way you could have filled the wagon so fast is if you had a vampire's speed." To him it would seem like I was teasing, but I was serious.

He gave a lopsided grin. "I'm pretty sure I'm not, but if I happen to have an urge for human blood, I'll call you."

I bit the inside of my lip to keep from insulting him for his mockery, and kept silent on that topic. "You should think of fixing that latch," I said, starting our task by grabbing a few logs.

"I planned on doing that today. It got jammed when Spartan took off with it yesterday."

"How'd he get loose?"

I saw his skin turn a slight pink around his ears. "Something must have spooked him."

"You're a liar," I told him again.

He gave a sharp look. "I do not, so quit calling me that."

"Yes, you do. Most people's eyes dilate when they don't tell the truth, and sometimes they can fidget or stutter. In your case, your ears turn red."

He sent me a defiant stare, and turned back to the wood. Gathering a few pieces in his arms, he began placing them in straight lines next to the garage. I didn't fight the urge to roll my eyes. _Merlin, people around here are so touchy…_

I changed the subject. "I still don't see how this could take less than an hour."

He went for another load. "The more people that work, the faster the job gets done. Besides, time passes faster when you have someone to talk to."

I joined him by the wagon. "I guess…"

We worked in silence for a good half hour, and by that time the load was only three-fourths full. During that time however Dan kept on sending me weird looks like he wanted to ask me something, but kept changing his mind. I just wished people around here could just speak their minds, for crying out loud. This staring was starting to annoy me. I was about to say so, when he began to talk.

"You know, the rest of the gang really wants to hang out with you, but it seems as if you keep blowing them off."

_Well, that's an abrupt change of topic…not that we had a conversation going in the first place, but still…_ I spun on my heel and studied him, wondering if he planned on cornering me like this. "Why would they think that?"

"Every time they ask you to go to the pool or into town, you always turn them down."

I had the feeling he was, but I bet it was either Aunt Helen or the Bob-Whites that put him up to it.

I asked him such, hoping he would back off due to my offensiveness. He didn't. "I did. We're all wondering why you don't want to socialize with anyone. Sure, Trixie explained to us that you wanted a bit of alone time to deal with your grief, but you don't even want to talk with someone to lighten you up a bit?"

Who was this guy to say to say what I wanted? "So I don't have the right to have a little privacy?" I asked a little defensively.

"No, it just looks like you're trying to avoid everyone."

"Well, I'm not."

"Then you wouldn't say no to taking a ride along the trails this afternoon?" he asked, almost daringly.

I gave a fake laugh. "You're joking right? I told you before, I don't ride horses."

"You rode Spartan," he pressed.

"That was different!" I was getting annoyed with this conversation. Who did this guy think he was, butting into my life? "My life depended on that."

"If you can ride a horse with a concussion, then you can ride a horse when you're healthy."

"Why are you being so persistent?"

"Why are you being so defensive?"

We stood there staring at each other. Well, I was glaring like I wanted him to scorch in flames, while he looked at me mockingly. The more I began to know this guy, the less I liked him.

"You're annoying." I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of having the last word.

"And you're scared."

The hair on the back of my neck began to stand on end. I needed to bring this conversation to a halt. He was getting _way _too nosy. I laughed, dismissing the topic. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're scared of getting close to anyone."

I became serious. "Alright, you need to know when to stop talking, Mr. Big Nose."

"You're scared that if you get close to anyone else, they'll disappear too. Sure that might be how it feels like, but it's not true. When my mom died –"

It wasn't that I was angry – maybe, I was a little annoyed…okay, I was a little angry…really angry… alright, I was thoroughly pissed off. "_Shut up!_ That is _none_ of you business." I spat at him. He saw right past my act, and knew _exactly_ how I felt, and I was scared of him, but I wasn't going to show him how I felt. I turned that fear and replaced it with anger, because that was how I best defended myself.

"I don't care about you or anything you have to say! So stop trying to understand me, because you clearly _don't,_" I sneered, and stomped across the lawn. I didn't want to listen to this asshole anymore than I had to.

However, before I reached the door he grabbed hold of my elbow. "Wait! Listen, I'm sorry, that was totally uncalled for."

I yanked my arm from his grasp. "You're right, now leave me alone.".

"Please wait. I really am sorry. That was a completely lousy way of leaving a first impression on someone, and you're Trixie's cousin. I don't want you to hate me, because frankly, she'll kick my ass if she hears I hurt you."

I let out a hollow laugh. "You're afraid of _Trixie_ hurting you? Man, that is the _least_ of your worries. I can take plenty care of myself."

He looked a bit confused, and I saw suspicion cross his features, but he quickly masked it with an apologetic smile. "'Listen, how about we start over? We can forget that whole conversation."

He put out his hand as a peace offering. I eyed it with disgust. _Just take it, you moron. You really need to get along with these people. Otherwise they'll be poking around in your business before you could even blink. _

I gave an aggravated sigh, and accepted his hand. "Whatever."

He smiled as we shook. "It's funny how much like Trixie you are."

"We're completely different people."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I guess…but you both have the same fiery temper. The only thing is, you've got this secrecy about you, like you're showing the world that you're smiling and happy, but there's something more to you than that."

My heart quickened at these words, and I frowned. _This guy is way more perceptive than I thought he was. I need to check myself around these Bob-Whites. If they're all as observant as Trixie is, I'm in big trouble…_

I ignored the unsettling feeling that came with those thoughts, and looked at him as if he were a psycho. "What are you talking about?"

He shook his head, and sent me a secretive smile. "You just remind me of someone."

He _was_ crazy. "Okay," I said walking back to the wagon. I watched him from the corner of my eye as I started stacking. The look gave me shivers. He studied me like I was a puzzle, but he just couldn't figure out how to start putting me together…yet.

**AN: So there's the chapter you darling readers have been waiting for! I just hope it hasn't been too long…**

**Please review! More reviews make me want to write more! So click that little button at the bottom that says 'Review this Chapter'. Go on, click it!**

**xoglowergrinox123 8D**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: So here's a lovely treat for my dear readers! This chapter is super long, and hopefully it will keep you all preoccupied until my next update, which won't be for a while. **

**As for a bit of background information, I think some readers are a bit confused as to the timeline of my story. In this story everything in the Harry Potter series is the same until the seventh book. However, the war began at the beginning of their sixth year, and Dumbledore's death took place at that time. **

**As for the Bob-Whites…In the books their ages are often changed throughout the series, so here's how old they are in my story. Trixie, Honey, and Di are seventeen, and they're going to start their senior year in the fall. Dan and Mart are eighteen, with Dan staying to repeat his senior year and Mart heading to college in the fall. Jim is nineteen and Brian is twenty; both are home during the summer holidays and returning to school in the fall. The timing of the story is mid-June. **

**Hopefully that clears up anyone's questions! Now onto the story! :)**

We spent at least a good two hours talking about nonsense as we finished our task. I'll admit, it wasn't as bad as I pretended it to be.

Dan Mangan was the most disrespectful, annoying, nosy, self-absorbed jerk I'd ever met… and it was fun arguing with him. I missed fighting on a regular basis with someone who actually possessed a backbone. Everyone else around here was touchy, and it seemed like I hurt someone's feelings as soon as I opened my mouth. And that's how I thought Dan was too, at first, but after a while, I began to see he was just messing with me. He was actually a very sarcastic and quick witted person. As a matter of fact, he reminded me a lot of Draco Malfoy, but I didn't hate the kid's guts like that backstabbing traitor in England. Dan could make a pretty damn good argument, but he knew when he crossed the line and at least he had the decency to apologize when he had to. I found that I really didn't mind talking with him.

As I spoke with him, I realized soon enough that I really had to start being on my guard. He often asked a few minor questions here and there about my past, and I soon comprehended that if he put all my answers together he could have a very suspicious piece of information in his hands. Therefore, I lied to him every once in a while to keep him off my back.

At first glance, The Bob-Whites seemed to be a few goody-goody kids, but knowing Trixie my whole life, and after getting to know Dan, they weren't all that they seemed to be. I had gone through an auror training program for the war, and I've learned never to underestimate people. I couldn't underestimate the Bob-Whites. They were nosy and clever. I already gave them a good show the last couple of times I was with them, and I couldn't let anything else slip. Every detail was important.

I agreed to the little horse ride that Dan suggested. I had to admit, he was right. I couldn't keep to myself any longer; that defeated the whole purpose of being here in the first place, and I didn't want them digging for any more information than they had to. "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer," Moody would have said. I knew the Bob-Whites weren't my enemies, but I had to think of them as such, otherwise I would become careless.

I was more than a little nervous about riding a horse again.

Honey tried giving me a little comfort. "It's okay, Alice. Here, you can ride Lady. I usually do, but she's better for beginners. I'll ride Strawberry seeing as Mart isn't here this time."

"I don't care! They're huge, and they can throw me. Those aren't two things to be taken lightly, Honey," I said, eying the creature nervously. _You may act like a 'Lady', but I know better,_ I thought while looking her in the eye.

Honey smiled a bit. "You've ridden Spartan before, and he's for more experienced riders."

"Yeah, but Dan was leading him for me! I didn't do anything."

Trixie patted me on the shoulder. "Where's your sense of adventure, Alice? I thought you loved taking risks," she leered.

_The past few years have made me a more cautious person…_ I sent her a pointed look, I hated being called a scaredy-cat; you can blame it on the Gryffindor in me. "How do I get on?"

She smirked, knowing that she won this round.

"Okay," Brian said walking over to me. "Taking hold of the saddle, all you have to do is put your foot into the stirrup and hoist yourself up. It's not hard."

He guided me up onto the dapple, gray mare, although I fell rather clumsily a good five times before I got the hang of it. I thought Spartan was tall, but Lady…she was a _giant_.

I must have paled a bit, because Dan, being the smartass he was, started teasing. "What's the matter Alice? You're not scared of sweet Lady, are you?"

I glared. "Yes, I am. So shut up," I seethed. I was scared and annoyed, two of my worst moods boiled into one. Not a good combination.

Honey tugged lightly on my leg. "Ignore him, Alice. Just pay attention to me. I'll have Lady on a lead, okay? She won't run off, but I'll do it just so you can feel safer."

I gave her a pale smile, and nodded.

So off we went. As we walked they formally introduced me to their mounts. Strawberry was Honey's strawberry roan – go figure – before she lent him to Mart to use. I found out that Starlight, a chestnut gelding, and Susie, a little black mare, were bought recently for Brian and Trixie to ride. Diana brought a silver and gold palomino named Sunny from her own stables, and after seeing Jupiter, Lady was actually small in comparison. He was a great big black gelding and I have no idea how Jim rode him.

"Old Jupe, here, chooses his rider. He only lets Dad, Regan, and I ride him," Jim said, giving the elegant horse a pounding pat on his neck.

"Yeah, I remember when someone tried riding him when she just began riding herself," Honey laughed. "He actually bucked her and took off running into the woods. Do you remember who that was, Trixie?"

He sandy-haired girl turned a dark shade of red. "Nope."

I heard a few chuckles from the group.

Dan pulled up next to me, and I gave him a small warning look not to mess with me. I was on unfamiliar ground when I was up on this creature, and I was in no mood to be teased.

He saw the look and gave a small smile. "Don't worry, I won't harass you way up here. Riding a horse for your first time can leave a huge impression, and I don't want to ruin it for you."

_Wow. That was actually __nice_. I let out a long breath. "Thanks."

"Want to see something cool, though?"

I looked at him suspiciously. I had no doubt he was capable of going back on his word.

He laughed. "No, seriously it's actually pretty cool. Did you know horses could dance?"

I raised a brow at this. "What?"

"You know, something that humans do sometimes when there's music?"

"I know what 'dancing' means, idiot," I snapped. "I just never heard of a horse doing it before."

"It's actually really amusing to watch," Brian cut in, his face glowing in anticipation.

Dan pulled over to the side, and started whistling a familiar tune that I couldn't place. Sure enough, Spartan began to actually _dance_, his legs looking like he was put under the _Tarantellegra_ curse. They moved in different directions like they were out of control, however there was a strange pattern to it.

"Well, I'll be damned. A horse that dances, who would have thought?" I said, as I watched the show bewildered.

Jim spoke, "He was in the circus before he went to live with Mr. Maypenny."

That's when it clicked that Dan was whistling a circus tune, and I found the spectacle very amusing. "Dan used to be a clown?" I asked, knowing very well that Jim was talking about the horse.

Trixie laughed. "No, but it does make sense doesn't it?"

"Watch it, Trix," Dan said in mock anger, even though she smiled at him and gave a wink.

Diana walked up to him and pinched his cheek. "Aw, are they being mean to you, Danny boy?"

"Cut it out." He pushed Di's hand away from his face, and she just laughed in response.

This bunch was a merry lot. All they did was tease each other, just like a family.

I grew a bit sad at this, thinking about the Wealseys, and became irritated with myself once more. _Stop thinking about it, Alice! You need to start moving on with your life, for crying out loud. They wouldn't have wanted to see you mourning them forever…_

I shook these thoughts out of my head and listened to the surrounding banter.

* * *

That afternoon I actually learned how to get on and off the horse without falling; a major accomplishment in my book. When we got hungry, everyone decided to eat lunch at the Wheeler's mansion. I was really excited about this, because the closest I ever got was when Trixie split her knee open on that window.

Of course we had to clean the horses first, and while we did so the tall red-haired man who was at my welcoming party came to check in on us. What was his name again?

"Hi, Regan!" A few of them greeted as he passed. However, my attention went to Dan when he muttered his greeting.

"_Uncle Bill?_"

He sent me a lopsided grin. "Yeah, he's the reason I came here in the first place. When I was under probation in the city, they sent me here to live with him."

The red-headed man grunted. "I'm just glad I don't have to actually live with you. Treating Mr. Maypenny with respect, I hope?"

He rolled his eyes, and said from the corner of his mouth. "He doesn't mean it. He just tries to act tough around me so it looks like he did all the work of 'brainwashing' me, per say."

I raised my eyebrow.

"You know I am, Uncle Bill. You can drop the act, you know."

Regan gave a self-conscious smile. "Just making sure," he said, and turned to the rest of us. "So everybody, how was the ride? Didn't push them too hard, did you?" he asked, sending a particularly stern look at Trixie.

She rolled her eyes. "Why do you always look at _me_ like that?"

He eyed her suspiciously. "Because I can solve a few mysteries for myself, Miss Holmes. And I find it a bit suspicious that Susie always seems to be more sweaty than the rest of the lot after a work out."

Honey stepped in, feeling the need to defend her friend. "It's okay, Regan. We kept it slow for today. Alice joined us this time, and she's not all that coordinated when it comes to horses," she said, winking at me.

I gave her a pretend glare. I had to agree, I fell off once on the trail, almost refusing to get back on 'Lady', and not to mention my gracefulness of getting on and off the horse.

He seemed a bit surprised at this. "Honey, you know the rule. Beginners need to see me first before heading out to the trails."

She bit her lip. "Sorry, Regan. We were just so excited about finally hanging out with her, we didn't think it would such a big deal. Besides, there are six of us to help her in case she got hurt."

"Wait, you said that Lady didn't run off," I said.

"Yes, but anything could possibly spook a horse. A shout or an animal…" she said thoughtfully.

"You said I'd be safe on that thing!" I said angrily. The truth was, I was scared that I had put my life in Honey's hands and she lied to me. Yeah, I knew I was blowing things out of proportion, but that's what happens when I went through the same situation time and time again. The bottom line was: I didn't trust anyone. I put a little trust in her, and she lied to me. _And people wonder why I won't open up to them…_

I knew I had to control my temper and I tried to reel myself in. I didn't want to fight with Honey.

She looked at bit worried that a confrontation might be coming along, and she wasn't far from the truth, but thankfully Regan stopped it quickly.

"Whoa, whoa. Ladies, there's no need to fight. Alice, from now on, if you're going to be riding the horses, I suggest you come to me first."

"Sorry, Regan, but this was a first and last time for me. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground thank you very much."

Trixie snapped her head at this. "What? You didn't like it?"

I shrugged. "Horses just aren't my thing."

Regan laughed. "That's okay, Trixie. Some people just aren't meant to ride horses." Then he turned and whispered in her ear. Whatever was being said made her break into a mischievous smile, and I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. _Better keep an eye on those two..._

"Okay, all of you better clean your horse and tack. I don't want to see a spot of sweat dripping down these horses' sides, got it?" Regan ordered, and proceeded to the stairs in the corner of the barn.

There was a murmur of "Yes, Regan", and everyone got to it.

Trixie came over next to me and helped me clean up Lady. Taking care of a horse was harder than it looked. Trixie told me what to do at first, like scraping any sweat off of her with a plastic ruler, rinsing her down, and brushing her three times over. However, I came to a halt when she told me to scrape out her shoes with something that resembled a small hammer.

"There is _no way_ I'm putting my head that close to a horse's foot. Those things tend to kill people, you know!"

She dramatically rolled her eyes at me, and proceeded to do the task for me. I eyed the creature, flinching every time it moved, wondering if it decided to crack my cousin's head open. Once she was finished, she told me to lead Lady into her stall and proceed to wipe down my tack with a towel. This I didn't mind so much. The beast was in it's cage, and I could sit down on a nice sturdy chair that stayed put when I sat down.

After all the horses were put into their stalls, and everyone had finished wiping down their tack, we headed up the hill to the mansion. I rushed over to Honey and pulled her towards the back of the group so we could talk without the others chiming in.

I felt bad about earlier and began to apologize for my behavior, which was really weird, because I never apologized to anyone, especially for something so insignificant. I figured Honey could be the exception though; she had to be one of the sweetest people I knew, and I didn't want her to believe I had any ill-will towards her.

She waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Dan warned us about how hot-tempered you were."

I raised an eyebrow at this, and bore a hole into his back. "Did he now?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, it's not like it's a big surprise. Being related to the Beldens and all, it's kind of hard not to predict."

I shook my head. "We aren't…well, not really. Aunt Helen's brother adopted me when I was just a baby, so we aren't blood related. However, I kind of inherited my father's temper, and according to stories I hear about him, I don't think it's such a good thing."

Honey became a bit interested in this. "Really? Trixie never mentioned that. Why not?"

I shrugged. "He often didn't think before he acted and got himself into a handful of trouble."

She laughed, "It sounds like you'd fit right into this family then!"

I smiled a bit. "Yeah, I guess so."

Halfway up, two dogs sprinted across the lawn, tongues hanging as they panted. Honey introduced them as her and Jim's spaniel pups, Buddy and Patch. They followed us the rest of the way up the hill, jumping about our feet and barking at their owners to play with them. Although no one wrestled with them in the grass, they received a few pats on the head.

When we entered the manor, I was amazed by the size. I seemed much bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. I remember looking through the windows, but everything was covered in dirt and grime back then. Now it was sparkling clean, due to their housekeeper Celia. We went through the long golden hallway, windows on both sides that allowed the sunlight to stream in and reflect off the many chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. I had to say it: I felt like a princess. The place was amazing, even the kitchen made me feel like royalty, with the hurrying cooks and butlers. _Merlin, I want to be rich when I grow up!_

"Cook?" Honey called over the bustling.

"Over here, miss. I take you all want something to eat?" She answered without waiting for a response. "Yes? Alright, go play out by the pool for now. I'll have it ready in an hour or so. I'm a little tied up at the moment."

Jim looked around the kitchen. "Why are there so many people working in here? Are we having company?"

"Yes, your father is bringing a few co-workers over for dinner tonight, and we're trying to get a head start on things. Now, off with you! You'll just be a distraction," she said, shooing us all out of the room.

We stood out in the hallway.

Trixie put her hands on her hips. "Well, I guess we should go get our bathing suits on. Honey, could the girls borrow a few of yours?"

"Of course! Jim will get some for you boys, too. Oh, and Jim? Could you call Mart to see if he's done with his garden yet?"

"Sure thing," he said leading the boys up to what I presumed to be his room.

I gave a snort as I walked to the stairs. "Mart has a _garden_?"

* * *

Trixie wasn't kidding when she said that Honey had plenty of bathing suits to choose from. I was a bit nervous about going into the pool. My stomach was so scarred I didn't even think the glamor charms would work on the deeper ones. I chose the bathing suit that had the least skin showing, which of course was a one piece, and it even had a skirt, making me all the more comfortable. I cast a few strong concealment charms on my throat, arms and legs before exiting the bedroom, and joined the others at the stairs.

It was a rather hot day and everyone wanted a refreshing dip. So as soon as everyone was ready, we rushed down the stairs and out the back door. I stopped when I reached the frame. _That _was considered a pool? _I'm pretty sure that's a lake, it has a fountain and everything! _There was a slide in the right corner, and a series of diving boards, each one higher than the last.

When we got to the pool Mart had joined the party, and I couldn't resist teasing him about his precious garden. The girls filled me in on how he wanted to be a farmer when he grew up, but the temptation was too great to ignore. As we made our way across the stone patio, I wouldn't stop badgering him. I knew he'd probably kill me once I reached a point, but I figured I could take him, I decked him once before.

"Hey, Mart! Trixie's room is a little stuffy at night. When we get back could you gather some flowers from your garden to spruce up the room bit? Thanks, you're a _doll_."

He threw his towel on the ground, and before I registered what he was doing, he charged at me, and sent us both flying into the pool.

All the others followed, wanting to get out of the summer heat. Well, everyone except for Honey, that is.

After shoving Mart's head under the water in retaliation, I asked, "Honey, aren't you coming in?"

I jumped up onto the ledge of the pool, letting my legs dangle in the cool water.

Jim swam over to me with a backstroke and whispered, which was pointless because it was loud enough for everyone to hear. "Honey's a bit of a show-off when it comes to the pool. She likes all the attention when she goes in."

I frowned. Honey didn't seem to be the vain type, but who knew? She was rich and pretty. I wouldn't mind the attention if I was her.

Honey gave her brother a pointed look. "Shush. I have to concentrate," she stated, as she got on the tallest diving board. There was silence as she took a deep breath, and ran along the platform. She jumped high in the air, flipping once…twice…three times...before diving effortlessly into the pool.

I was impressed. "Whoa, Honey, you're really good. Have you ever tried entering a diving contest?" I asked when she came up.

"I did, but they were always so picky and took points off for absolutely no reason at all! In the end I just joined the school's swimming team," she said, smiling all the while.

"That sounds cool. I always wanted to join clubs and stuff at my school, but we don't have any."

"Really? That's strange. Not even sports?" Honey asked.

I didn't want to talk that much about school, it would lead to too many questions. The 'club thing' just sort of slipped, and I scolded myself for that. _Remember, the Bob-Whites are supposed to be your enemies! You're not fraternizing with the enemy, are you, Potter?_ I chewed thoughtfully on my lip. "Well, our school is really strict. We have one sport though. It's a kind of modified version of American football."

"Wow, that _is_ strange. Is your school good?"

I needed to switch this to another topic. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Jim pushed himself up onto the ledge of the pool. "Hey, Alice, where _do_ you go to school? I heard that all of the schools in England are really strict and educational."

"They are. I go to a boarding school, so it's ten times harder. Well, I'm guessing, anyways. You have to be invited to join," I answered, trying to reveal as little information as possible. I wasn't very comfortable with the topic at the moment. I really had to be on my guard here.

"Oh! I've been to dozens of boarding schools before. Remember, Trixie?" Honey said, her cheeks turning a slight pink with excitement. "Where _do_ you attend? Maybe I've been there!"

I bit my lip, there was no avoiding it, otherwise it'd be suspicious. "Well…it has a really weird name…Hogwarts."

A few of the others laughed.

Di laughed louder than the others. "Sorry, but _Hogwarts?_ Think about it…hog…warts," she said and continued to laugh.

I gave a small smile. It was a little funny. "I never really thought of it that way."

Dan swam up and jumped up on the edge next to Jim. "Let me guess, your school's mascot is a pig?" he asked, a smirk on his lips.

I rolled my eyes. "_No_, it's a lion, dipstick, but if it was a pig, you'd be the perfect mascot," I leered.

He gave a mock laugh. "Ha, ha, funny."

I smirked in reply.

Honey furrowed her brow. "You know, I've lived in England for a couple of years, and my parents sent me to at least half the boarding schools in the country, but I've never heard of Hogwarts before."

I shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised. Barely anyone's heard of it. Only a few hundred kids go there, and it's practically in the middle of nowhere."

"And where is the middle of nowhere?" Jim pried.

I furrowed my brow. _Did they have to know _everything_? _"You know, I'm not even sure. I know it's somewhere in the northern part of Scotland, though."

"You don't even know where your own school is? What if there's an emergency or something?" Brian asked, unbelieving.

_Ah! Too many questions! Make your story sound believable, Alice. Come on, if you can infiltrate a Death Eater camp, you can avoid a few measly questions by a few eighteen year olds_, I thought to myself frantically. I was a panicking mess on the inside, but otherwise I looked relaxed.

"Well, there _is_ a small town nearby if we needed any supplies, but we have everything we need at the school. There's an emergency room, and the teachers are awfully strict, so there's hardly any rule-breaking." Trixie snorted at this. "The place is so deep in the mountains that we take a train to get there at the beginning of the year. So if there was a major emergency, it would take the authorities a good day to get there in the first place."

Jim frowned at this. "That's not very safe. What if someone decided to take the school hostage, or something like that?"

I laughed. "I doubt anyone would want to travel all that way just to shoot a couple of kids. Besides, strangers to the school are really rare, and by the time they reached the gates everyone would know he was there, kind of defeating the purpose of it in the first place. It's a kind of hard place to sneak into."

_Well, not really, but a few lies won't hurt anyone._

"It's still weird," Brian said, apprehensively.

Jim gave him a look. "England is an entirely different country, Bri. Just because it's different doesn't mean it's weird."

"Yeah," Honey agreed. "Some of the schools I went to were seriously in the middle of nowhere, like Alice's. We used to play sports against our own school because we were so far away in order to compete."

I nodded. "That's how mine is."

Honey turned to me eagerly, now that we were talking about a subject she was interested in. "How many teams does your school have? I think the most my school had were about twenty or so."

I was hoping the conversation would have died down by this point… "We have four, each representing a house that the students are separated into."

"Neat! What position do you play?" she asked smiling.

"Well…the game is kind of hard to explain, and I don't really feel like going into a full-detailed explanation about it. Let's just say I was a beater and I got to knock people over."

I heard Di giggle.

Dan looked amused. "Was your team good?"

"Yup! We won the cup every year running…well, except for my fifth year, but that doesn't count."

"Fifth year?" Trixie asked, confused.

I could have smacked myself in the head. _Nice way of being discrete, Potter!_ "People usually enter the school when they turn eleven, and we go there for seven years. Yeah, I know it's weird, but it's a really weird school. So instead of grades, we go by years."

"Hmm, interesting," Brian commented. "Why didn't you guys win during your fifth year?"

"We had a new teacher that year, and she was seriously out to get my house. She would always find a way to punish us, no matter how polite we were. During that year, she made it her personal duty to hand out punishments to the students. Unfortunately, she banned three of our best players from the sport, and one of them didn't even do anything."

Mart huffed. "Jeez, what a crone! If that ever happened to my skating team, I'd be furious!"

I snorted at this. "So you tend a garden and ice skate? How _manly_ of you."

He glared. "It's a speed skating team, so lay off, _Al._"

"She couldn't have done it without a reasonable cause, Mart. It's almost impossible for anyone to get kicked off a team, unless they did something drastic," Jim explained, ignoring our little spat.

Brian agreed. "What happened, Alice?"

I sighed in annoyance. We needed to get off this subject! "I guess they did deserve a punishment, but not one as serious as banning them from the sport. One of the kids from the other team, who I absolutely _despise_, was being a sore loser and started taunting our players after the match. This kid usually insults people all day long, but this time he went too far. A few of my friends lost their tempers and ganged up on him, right in front of the teachers."

Honey gasped. "That's horrible! Was the boy alright?"

I snorted. "The kid was asking for it for five years, so I wasn't really concerned. All I cared about was how long it would be before the guys could return. When the team found out they wouldn't be, they were furious, but it wasn't like they could do anything about it," I shrugged.

Jim butted in and, to my disgust, started _defending_ the creep. "Well, I think your teammates kind of deserved it, Alice. I mean, that was taking things a little too far, don't you think?"

"We're talking about a kid, who when he was thirteen faked an animal injury so that one of my friend's pets could be exterminated. Everyone knew he was faking it, but the school put the animal down anyways. You don't think that's too drastic?" I snapped.

Jim frowned at this, and was going to speak when Dan cut him off, probably trying to put off an argument.

"The only problem I see is that your friends made the mistake of going after the kid in front of your teachers. 'Don't get caught' is the best policy."

_Thank you! Finally __someone's__ on my side._

"Well, he might have deserved it, but shouldn't your friends have at least notified a teacher of his bullying? It would have saved a lot of trouble," Honey said, biting her lip. I could tell she hated the topic at the moment; she didn't seem to me like the person who approved of violence.

"I agree, but the Weasleys haven't been known to have the longest temper, and Malfoy _knew_ he was pushing their limits. He enjoys manipulating people."

Jim jumped back into the pool with a splash. "Sounds like your school's full of dandy people," he remarked.

I glared. "There are plenty of good and bad people everywhere you go. Just because there's a small group of assholes at my school, doesn't mean everyone's like that."

Mart gave his friend a nudge, and winked at him. "Yeah, you know what they say when you assume, Jim."

In response, the redhead became as red as his hair, hopefully from embarrassment. "You don't have to be telling _me_ that, Mr. Presumptuous," he said shoving Mart into the water.

Mart came back up, sputtering. "Hey! That was unwarranted!" he yelled and tackled Jim down into the depths of the pool.

I watched the sight a bit amusedly, before I shouted in surprise as someone grabbed me from behind, pulling me into the pool with them.

I coughed out the water that went up my nose. Blinking my eyes clear, I saw Dan treading water with a satisfied smirk on his face.

I glared. "That…was not nice."

He put on an innocent mask. "Really? Then I don't suppose you'd think _this_ was nice either." And before I could retaliate, he skimmed his arms across the water in my direction, which ended in me sputtering once again.

"All right, that is _it_!" I lunged forward and grabbed hold of his head before pushing the whole thing under water.

I heard laughs and cheering from behind me.

"Go Alice!"

"Yeah, show him who's boss!"

"Come on, Dan! Flip her over!"

"What's the matter, Dan? Are you seriously going to let a girl kick your butt?"

"And what's wrong with that?" I heard someone who sounded like Trixie, accuse.

"It's been scientifically proven that men are more physically capable, than women." Due to the big words, I was guessing it was Mart.

"Oh yeah? Then try this on for size!" I heard a splash.

"Hey!"

I felt Dan grab hold of my ankle and gave a sharp pull, sending me down into depths of the pool once more. Instead of letting him keep control of the situation, I swam a couple more yards down and propelled myself under and around him. I came up from behind and jumped on his shoulders, forcing him back down. Before I knew it, he shot up with me still on his shoulders, sending me like a torpedo a good three feet in the air before hitting the shallow end with a slap.

As I broke through the surface I heard a muffled chorus of "Food!" due to the water in my ears, and saw a stampede erupt from the pool. _Merlin, you'd think they were starving kids in China…_

I growled, and stood up, making my way to the wall. I was about to hoist myself up when a hand reached down. I looked up and met Dan's smiling gaze.

"That was quite the flying experience you had there."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Whatever," I grumbled.

He laughed and pulled me up out of the pool. Literally. I didn't even have to grab onto the ledge at all; I must not have realized just how strong he was._ It was then I realized, __he's not a vampire at all, he's a __super __vampire!_

"Whoa!" I cried out as he placed me on the concrete. "I didn't know you were _that_ strong!"

He gave a self-absorbed smile, and began flexing his arms. "Huh, I guess I am kind of impressive, aren't I?"

I arched a brow and snorted. "You are so full of yourself."

Saying that, I gave him a slight shove back into the pool. Grabbing my towel, I followed the rush of teens into the house, but not before looking back over my shoulder to send him a smirk. However, the look he was giving me as I walked through the door sent shivers down my spine, and all I could remember was seeing that look only once before…and it scared me.

**Hopefully my loyal readers just loved the update! I have many ideas for upcoming chapters, but I'm not sure how it will work out yet. Maybe if I heard what my readers had in mind, I'd be able to look for a plot that will satisfy everyone. So please review to tell me any thoughts you have in mind!**

**xoglowergrinox123 8D**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: So sorry it took a while to update! I've been on vacation without any internet! However, I've got some good news for you fellow readers :) During my week of no TV, internet, or any type of human contact I've gotten ahead of myself and wrote six new chapters! Whoo-hoo! *Snaps for me!***

**Hope you all like this chapter, and keep an eye out for any future updates, because there will be at least six more of them heading your way!**

**xoglowergrinox123 8D**

However, Cook wouldn't have eight dripping teenagers in her kitchen, and she told us that if we didn't change, we wouldn't eat. Everyone raced to claim a room first, because the sooner we changed the sooner we ate. Of course, I was stuck in the hallway again, but it wasn't with Diana this time.

"You know, this is my house, yet, I always seem to be locked out of my own room," Jim said sliding down the wall to sit on the floor.

"That's how it is over at the Belden's, but I'm usually the one doing all the locking," I said with a small smirk.

He sent me a grin, interpreting the joke immediately. "So, Alice, what made you mysteriously decide to hang out with us? For the past couple of days it seemed like you were trying to ignore us."

I growled in frustration. "Do you want an interrogation or something? Because I can readily make an appointment for one!" I snapped. I was sick of everyone wanting to know my business.

He looked totally bewildered. "What are you talking about? I was just trying to make conversation."

"Everyone's been cornering me all day. All I want is a nice relaxing – vacation, per say –, but all everyone does is get up in my business!"

"Whoa, Alice, calm down. We're merely curious, is all. I'm sure none of us meant to make you feel uncomfortable," he explained, calmly.

"Well, you all did an excellent job of it," I retorted.

An embarrassed smile adorned his face. "Try thinking of it our way. The Belden's long lost cousin, who we hear about every once in a while, magically appears on our doorstep. Trixie made it seem like you were this talkative, smiling girl, who loved getting into as much trouble as we do."

I bit my lip, my anger melting away like ice cream. "She did?" I asked a bit meekly.

"Yeah," he smiled encouragingly. "We just want to know a little about the infamous Alice Potter, but that's kind of hard to do when you're never around."

That made me silent. _I never thought of it like that. I just figured they'd be trying to uncover my 'big secret'. Maybe I should stop being so defensive around them…_

I sighed. "You know, Aunt Helen and Uncle Peter painted me a pretty picture to look at, too." Seeing his confused expression, I explained further. "They said you were this goody-goody group of kids who went out of their way solving every mystery they could get their hands on – Well, they didn't say it in those _exact_ words, but that's how it sounded."

He gave a small chuckle. "Yeah, I guess the would look at it like that. I can't even tell you how many times we've almost given Mrs. Belden a heart attack."

"The thing is, I was scared you guys would go digging around, trying to uncover things I'd rather be left in my past," I said rather slowly, hoping the words came out right.

"Oh, now it makes sense," he said thoughtfully. "I suppose Trixie does like knowing everything about everybody, but that's the way she is. You've got to forgive her for that. It's just in her nature."

I nodded in acceptance."Yeah…well, that's better said than done."

"There's nothing that can't be done without practice!" He said with a huge smile on his face.

His antics made me look at him a bit differently. He reminded me a lot of the Weasleys…_And not just because of the red hair_, I said as a mental afterthought.

I snorted and shook my head. _I really need to stop thinking about them. It's really not healthy to make these kinds of comparisons._

"I suppose…" I mumbled, and realized that he was staring at me contemplatively. "What?"

"You seem like the kind of person who has conversations with themselves."

I laughed at this. "How'd you know?"

"Well, you make these weird faces, as if you're mentally yelling at yourself. I noticed it when we were on the trails, but I decided to keep quiet. Didn't want to put you too much in the spotlight," he said.

Smiling, I said, "I was planning on how to exterminate Dan and Trixie without leaving any evidence of the crime."

He burst out laughing. "I don't think I was the only who noticed that."

We laughed a little then went silent. There were a few moments of awkward silence when I heard some music playing.

"Is that the violin?" I asked, trying to tune my ear in which direction the sound was coming from.

He shook his head. "No, it's a bass. Mom plays it a lot when she's frustrated with work. When the music plays, we know better than to annoy her," he said with a slight wince on his face.

I smirked. "Been on the receiving end, have we?"

He became fascinated with the carpet. "Don't want to talk about it. It was a dark day at the Wheeler house."

I snorted in response.

"You play?"

I raised my eyebrows. "The bass?"

"Not particularly. Any kind of instrument."

"Oh…well, I do play the piano…"

He nodded as if approving. "Have any enthusiasts?"

"I'm usually inspired by anyone, really, but my fav–" However, I was interrupted by Mart's annoying voice.

"Room's open!"

I rolled my eyes. "I guess that's conversation for another time."

Jim waved it off. "Don't worry about it. We can talk during lunch!"

I smiled, and walked past Mart and into the free room to change.

* * *

It was really hot out, and I felt like I was melting in my turtleneck and Capri's. Fortunately, the Wheeler's had an awesome cooling system, and I was more relaxed. I knew that it was suspicious wearing a turtleneck in ninety degree weather, but I couldn't feel comfortable without one. Glamor charms worked well, but the charm gradually fades after a while and I didn't want to risk any chances. Besides, it wasn't like I had that much to choose from in accessories; as I said before, I left practically everything I owned back in England.

My discomforts were soon forgotten however, when we entered the dining room. The table was fit for a king and food of every sort rested upon it, making my mouth water. A giant chandelier hung from the dining room lighting up the place like a diamond held up to the light. I stared open mouthed at it.

"Alice, come here next to me!" Trixie waved me over frantically and shoved Dan out of the seat that she apparently wanted me sitting in.

I rolled my eyes and sat down next to her.

"So, Alice, what do you want to do today?" she asked with a smile.

I shrugged, piling some food onto my plate. I noticed over the last week and a half that I could hold more down than I used to, and didn't feel sick after being force-fed the first couple of nights.

Di leaned towards me across the table, with a sparkle in her eyes. "How about we head into town? There's plenty of things to do there, and we can go shopping."

The boys groaned, while Trixie winked. "I don't think so. I doubt the guys would want to help carry our bags for us." A few of the boys either grimaced or glared at the thought. "Besides Moms is taking me and Alice to get some stuff later on anyways. Why don't we do something else like…" She frowned when she couldn't think of any ideas.

Brian helped himself to some salad and suggested, "Why don't we go for a hike? That way we can show Alice around the fields and such, so she can get more comfortable around the place."

I agreed.

_I'm getting soft, _I thought while feeling my stomach. _I doubt this town has a gym anywhere within ten miles. Besides, a good morning run along the trails sounds like a good idea. Fresh air will do me some good. _

I didn't really know any of the trails past the farm and I needed to familiarize myself, just in case. Who knew what could happen? These Bob-Whites were known for getting themselves into mischief, and I doubted it wouldn't be long before I was sucked into one of their so-called 'mysteries'.

I was forced out of my thoughts when I heard Jim snort across from me, and when I looked up I wasn't surprised to see him trying to stifle a laugh. I narrowed my gaze at him with a warning: _don't tease me, or suffer the consequences._

"Okay, we can finish eating, and then we can go for a walk," Honey said, giving the two of us weird looks. Then she brushed it off and grabbed herself a sandwich before continuing. "We just have to tell Miss Trask where we're going. Last time, no one bothered telling her. She went ballistic with worry."

Trixie gasped. "Gleeps! She wasn't that worried was she?" she asked, concern filling her voice.

Honey waved it off. "As long as we don't do it again we won't be under house arrest."

Mart and Brian exchanged worried looks.

_Hmm, they seem to be really fond of their housekeeper,_ I thought and told them so.

They didn't look that surprised.

"Oh, Miss Trask is marvelous! She's the nicest woman you'll ever meet!" Trixie exclaimed.

Honey giggled, "Trixie's right, she really is wonderful. As a matter of fact, she used to be my math teacher! I loved her so much I convinced my parents to ask if she'd be willing to take on the job of a governess."

I eyed Honey disdainfully, "Don't you think you're a little old to have a governess, Honey?"

"I know, we really don't need one now. So when we became old enough, Mother put her in charge of the household and such. I don't think any of us would get over it if she ever decided to leave us," she said sadly at the thought.

"I would say so! I doubt any of you would ever manage if I were gone," a woman's voice said from the doorway.

I turned in my seat to get a better glimpse of her. I vaguely remembered her from my welcoming party, but the name didn't stick with the face. _No surprise there._

She was a thin elderly woman, as I could see due to her grey hair, however she looked like she could pass for fifty. She was very attractive for her age, and I had no doubt she had the boys chasing after her when she was younger…maybe she even had a few grandpas chasing after her now. It wouldn't have surprised me.

_Why does it seem like all the women around here are so beautiful?_ I thought jealously. I knew I wasn't that pretty to look at, especially since I covered myself up all the time. I never got jealous over something so insignificant, but looking at the girls around me I began to feel a bit self-conscious. _I wish I were at least half as good looking as Trixie, Di, or Honey. They're all so pretty…why can't I look like that?_ These thoughts just gave me all the more reason to hate Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Not only did they take my life away from me, but they also took away any attractive features I could have had.

Her laugh brought me out of my brooding, and my ears perked up at the sound. It really was a lovely laugh, like the sound of bells on the door at Christmas.

"Oh, Mart. You are a dear. I bet the ladies are lining up to hear you talk about them like that," she said with a wink.

I watched him from my spot at the table, and saw him give a side-long glance at Di. _Hmm…well, well, well. What's going on there? _"Ah, Miss Trask, girls aren't into that stuff anymore."

"Oh?"

Trixie raised a brow. "Yes, Mart. Do explain. I'd love to hear your insight onto what women want," she said, in a tone that told Mart he'd be better off letting the matter drop.

However, being Mart, he completely ignored the warning, and continued. "Please, girls aren't going to fall for my words. They fall for that stupid charm guys usually have, like my gorgeous smile," he said, giving a poor demonstration of a sexy smile.

I smiled at Trixie's reaction. She put a finger in her mouth, making it look like she was going to vomit.

Subconsciously, my eyes drifted about the table and noticed that the guys weren't bad-looking either.

_Scratch that, they're studs_… As a girl, I couldn't deny that. Mart was practically Trixie's twin, so of course he had good-looking features, and Brian looked exactly like Uncle Peter, so there's no surprise there. Jim was surprisingly a fairly good looking red-head, and his smile would no doubt attract girls to him like a magnet. Dan was attractive in that 'tall, dark, and handsome' way, and his fine-toned torso would do nothing but flock girls to him like preschoolers to candy.

_Am I the only average-looking person in this town?_ I sneered to myself. I crossed my arms, trying to melt away into the chair. _Why am I acting like a school girl? Who cares what I look like? I'm not trying to impress anyone._

Someone was waving a hand in front of my face. "Alice – yoohoo! Anyone home?"

I pushed Trixie's arm away. "Sorry, what?"

She sent me a weird look. "Jim was asking you a question."

I turned my attention to the smirking red-head, and scowled in his direction. _I guess he was right…I _do_ argue with myself a lot._ "What do you want?"

"Nice to have you back!" he announced. "Now, continuing on with our previous conversation! Who do you like again?"

Dan, who was sitting next to Jim, snapped his head up so fast I thought his neck would break. "_What_?"

I rolled my eyes in response. "He's talking about music, Danny boy," I stated and turned back to Jim. "Well…my favorites are Sarah Mclachlan, Natalie Merchant, the Wallflowers…hmm…oh! Tom Petty's a good one, and John Eddie is great to listen to, if I'm in the mood for it," I said, listing off my favorite musicians.

Jim's eyebrows shot up. "John Eddie? So you're an oldies girl."

I gave a crooked smile. "Well, the newer stuff that's out nowadays is mostly junk. Sure, they're good to dance to, but there's no meaning in the songs. The classic rock era had some of the deepest lyrics I've ever heard, and not to mention they were music geniuses! There's only a few new artists like Sarah Mclachlan and John Eddie that have that same spark, but everything else is generally about sex, and who needs to hear about that all the time?"

Jim laughed out loud at this.

I was confused. "What?"

"Nothing," he said with a smile. "You're just my musical soul-mate. I agree a hundred-percent with everything you just said, although I'd have to add Led Zeppelin in there."

"Well, I didn't name half of the best ones out there; I was just naming a few. You've actually heard of John Eddie?"

He smiled. " 'Who the hell is John Eddie?' Of course I have! The guy played down in the Sleepy-side coffee shop a few years back."

"Really? Lucky! Barely anyone's ever heard of him."

"I know, but he must be getting bigger if someone other than me has heard of him."

I grinned. "What about Blackfoot?" _If he's ever heard of them, then I'm officially in love with this guy!._

"Aw, man! I'd kill to be able to play like Shorty Medlock!" he exclaimed.

My jaw dropped. "Mate, you just jumped to the top of my favorites list around here."

Jim laughed. "Trixie never spoke of your musical genius before."

At the mention of her name, Trixie jumped right into the conversation. "Are you kidding? Uncle Remus was the real genius. He was brilliant when it came to the piano; passed everything he knew on to Alice, here."

Mart began laughing. "I hope you're a lot better than you were when we last saw you, Alice."

I glared. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It's not a secret how horrendous you were back then," he said bluntly.

I huffed. "For your information, _Martian,_ I was eight back then and only realizing my musical genius!"

He rolled his eyes dramatically, and mimicked a rather manly woman. "What_ever_."

Trixie jumped up in her seat, smiling like a madman. "Why don't you start a band? Jim plays the harmonica and Mart plays the guitar! Alice with you on piano, it would be great!"

The three of us exchanged glances and began laughing.

"It's not that bad of an idea," she stated, her face heating up, and looked to Jim for some back up.

Maybe it was just me, but she seemed more hurt by his laughter than anyone else's. He saw her look, then gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Trix. We didn't mean it like that," he apologized, and immediately her face flushed a shade darker.

I studied the two of them thoughtfully. _Hmm…Mart and Di, now Trixie and Jim. I wonder who's next?_ I thought as I briefly flitted my eyes over to Honey and Brian, and suddenly noticed that they were sitting perhaps a little too close together. I rolled my eyes, _Oh boy…this is __Millionaire Matchmaking's__ heaven!_

Turning my attention back to my sisterly cousin, I smiled. "It's not a bad idea at all, Trixie, but think about what you're saying: a band made up of a piano, guitar, and harmonica?"

"Oh," she frowned, wrinkling her nose a bit with awareness. "Well, I'd still like to hear you play. It's almost been ten years since we've last seen you, and I want to see if you've inherited Uncle Remus' talent."

"I'll plan on it."

We laughed and joked for the next hour or so, until Celia came bustling in tsking us.

"All of you out! Your father just pulled up with business, and although I know you can be dears, he wants you all out. Now shoo!"

"What? Why? Doesn't Mr. Wheeler love us anymore?" Mart asked, pouting his lips.

Celia gave him a stern look. "That is exactly why he wants you out. He's trying to impress these people, and he doesn't want any mishaps. Don't try to argue, because you lot usually are found next to the word in the dictionary. Now go for a walk, and stay out until supper at the very least. Miss Trask, Cook needs your help in the kitchen, something about the groceries or other," she ordered in a rush, yelling the last part.

The elderly women practically pushed us out the door, and we found ourselves a bit dumbfounded at their boldness.

We stood there staring at the door for a few moments. _There seems to be a pattern going on around this house_, I thought cynically.

Brian took the lead. "Okay, so why don't we start with the club house?" he said, officially beginning the tour. We followed him around the house and down the driveway, where a stretch limo was parked at the front door.

"Hmm."

"What's wrong, Jim?" Trixie asked, looking at the limo with some interest. "And what happened to Tom's car?"

"I was wondering that myself. These must be some pretty important people that he wants to impress."

"I wonder if it's his company's president?" Honey suggested. "He seemed pretty stressed the past few days about these people. If they're that important to get Daddy all worried like that, I doubt they would be any sales' client."

"Maybe…We won't get any answers tonight, at least. You heard Celia, we're not supposed to come back until supper. Even then, I doubt we'd be allowed to join them at the table," Jim answered with a sigh.

Mart prattled the red-head a bit, "Aw, Jimb-o here's going to have to actually _make_ himself a sandwich for supper!"

Jim flushed, his eyes flashing a bit with anger, and decided to tackle Mart to the ground with a loud "Oof!"

I looked down at them amusingly. "Are they always like that?"

Brian shrugged as I looked at him for an answer. He was usually the most honest one of the group. "Most of the time. Usually it's either between Mart and Trixie, or Mart and Jim. Just to let you know, the wrestling is mostly done by Mart and Jim…"

I stifled a snort. "_Mostly?_"

He gave a crooked smile of embarrassment for his family. "Well, sometimes Trixie _does_ get a good tackle in at first."

I laughed as Trixie elbowed her oldest brother.

"_Shut up_," she muttered.

"Come on, you guys. It'll be dark by the time you guys quit horsing around! Let's give Alice the grand tour," Dan declared, and walked on over to me. "My lady?" he asked with a slight bow, lending me his arm.

I rolled my eyes and took his offered arm, letting him lead me down the drive. I didn't see the hurt in playing along with his antics.

"So, what's that you said about a club house?" I asked.

"Well, it's actually an old storage shed that Trixie and I found down by the road a couple of years ago," Honey answered.

"Yeah, it wasn't like anyone was using it. So we asked Mr. Wheeler if the Bob-Whites could use it as a hang out," Trixie finished.

Dan murmured in my ear, "As you can see, there's a pattern. Trixie and Honey are usually the ones to stumble across something interesting, and the rest of us are usually dragged along for the ride. Sometimes it's rather forcefully."

I gave a small laugh, "I'm beginning to see that."

"See what?" Trixie prodded, looking between the two of us suspiciously.

"You're adventurous spirit," I said with a smirk.

She narrowed her eyes in return, knowing full well that wasn't what we were discussing.

Di skipped ahead and pulled me from Dan's grasp. "Hey, Alice. You wouldn't be dating any one at the moment, are you?"

My eyebrows flew up to my hairline. "_What_?"

She smiled sweetly, like she was talking about the weather. "It just popped into my head after seeing you and Dan talking close like that." Once she said this I was glad she took me from Dan, otherwise I'd be blushing red from the contact. "So, do you?"

"Uh –"

"Di, I'm pretty sure that Alice doesn't appreciate it you putting her in the spotlight like that," Jim intervened._ Thank you! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you…_ I sent him an appreciative smile, which he answered with a nod.

She looked at Jim, like she was completely clueless as to what he was talking about, then turned to me. "I'm sorry, Alice. Am I making you uncomfortable?"

I tried mustering up a reassuring grin, but failed miserably. She took me completely off guard. "Don't worry about it. You just caught me off guard a bit."

"Oh, I tend to do that to people. Now you know why I fit right in with the group!"

I grinned. "If you have to have a weird personality trait to enter the group, I'd definitely pass the test."

Trixie came up to us and threw an arm around my shoulder. "Aw, Cuz! You're already part of the group!"

I raised a brow at her in question.

"Well, everyone here has already taken a liking to you. It's kind of hard not to."

I was a bit shocked at this. _These people like me already? Are they crazy?_ I came to the conclusion that they were. After all, they wouldn't be friends if they weren't.

I turned back to Di and found her sending a suspicious glare at Dan, which he quickly replied in like.

"You okay, Di?" I asked, wondering about the exchange.

However both of their faces went back to neutral, and she returned her attention to me. "Yes, why wouldn't I be?" she asked with a puzzled face. _She's lying,_ I thought looking in her eyes, but I didn't question her and kept my face indifferent.

She seemed bi-polar to me. However, I kept my thoughts to myself and waved her off. "Nevermind. You know, you remind me of an old friend of mine."

She laughed. "That's funny. Do we look the same? I've read in a magazine that everyone has a twin somewhere in the world."

"Um…no." _This girl is definitely related to Luna Lovegood somehow…_

"Well, I was just wondering. You haven't met your twin yet, have you?"

"Actually, I have," I replied thoughtfully.

She spun in front of me, eyes wide. "Really?" She asked in an excited voice.

Trixie stopped in her tracks, taking me with her. It wasn't like I could plow through Di, anyways. "You did?"

"Where?" Mart included.

I gave an amused smile, about to share a small little secret. "I told you that we usually entered my school when we turned eleven. Well, there I met my long, lost twin-brother."

Trixie's and Di's eyes widened even further. "What?" they exclaimed in unison.

I laughed at their expressions. It was just too funny. "You know Remus isn't my real dad, Trixie. I was adopted. Everyone at school found it funny that me and Harry looked exactly the same, and had the same last name to boot," I said, narrating the summary of the story. "It wasn't that hard to put two and two together, and when we asked the teachers and such about our parents they verified the information."

Honey squealed in happiness, "That is so sweet! It's just like in those story books!"

Trixie kept staring at me in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me about any of this?" she asked, a bit of hurt resounding in her voice.

I frowned, knowing I had hurt her in some way, but not knowing how. "You didn't ask."

She furrowed her brow. "So I have to _ask_ now whenever something life changing happens to you? And you wonder why I pry sometimes! I have to pull teeth to get to know my own cousin!" she exclaimed. I was guessing, out of hurt.

"I'm sorry if I don't tell you _every little thing_, Trixie. I didn't know you were my mother!" I snapped. It was times like these that she really pushed me over the edge.

Brian tried intervening. "Girls, there's no need to fight. Just forget –"

Both of us turned to the tall, dark haired boy. "Stay out of it!" we shouted in unison.

He held his hands up in surrender, and the two of us girls went back at each others' throats.

Trixie's face was becoming rather red. "I'm not your mother, I'm your cousin. We used to tell each other everything! What happened to my best friend?"

"She's gone!" I sneered. I was tired of this 'being nice' thing. I almost got into fights with Jim and Honey today, even after I scolded myself to get along with the Bob-Whites, right after my little yelling match with Dan. _Merlin, I'm really terrible at keeping my _own_ promises_, I reprimanded myself. _And not to mention learning any manners_, another voice chided in the back of my mind. I ignored it, however.

"That 'best friend' of yours died a long time ago. I _don't _want to tell anyone anything, so _butt out_," I retorted, and spun on my heel, marching across the fields back to Crabapple Farm. "Thanks for the _lovely_ tour, you guys, but I think I'll pass."

I left a group of half-stunned, half-angry Bob-Whites at the bottom of the hill, wondering in vain, what they did wrong.

**Hope you liked it! Please review, comment, or critic! I love seeing that number next to the 'Reviews' button go up ;)**


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